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  • 1. Have you requested a promotion in the last year?
  • 2. Have you ever been rejected for a promotion?
  • 3. Have you ever been offered a promotion?
  • 4. Has a co-worker at the same level ever been promoted instead of you?
  • 5. Has there ever been a position you applied for and didn’t get?
  • 6. Are you hesitant about asking for a promotion for fear of your boss’s response?
  • 7. Have you ever left an organization because you were passed up for promotion there?
  • 8. Do you know if your work environment values you and your work?
  • 9. Do you think that you deserve a promotion?
  • 10. Do you promote your work and yourself at work?
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What to do when your boss doesn’t think you’re ready for promotion

Most of you will agree. There’s nothing more disappointing than getting passed up for promotion and veered off your corporate development pat.

 

But can you do anything about it?

 

This is the central question that millions of managers worldwide are pondering daily - especially given that only about 30% of managers vying for promotion actually realize their dream.

 

In this post, I’ll explain provide career advancement solutions by showing how to deal with a boss who thinks that you’re not promotion material. First of all, I’ll dispel some myths that might be going through your head:

  1. It’s not fate. (In fact, you have to do some careful planning). 

  2. You can do something about it.

 

Now I’m going to present two possible scenarios:

  1. Your boss thinks that you might be promotion material, but they think you’ve still got work to do.

  1. Your boss thinks that you’re just not promotional material. 

Though both scenarios might leave you pretty hopeless, they are entirely different. I’ll be addressing the first one in this post and the second one in my next post.

 

Here’s something typical you might hear from your boss...as they let you know you’re not going to get promoted.

 

“Martin, you’ve really progressed a lot and everyone is noticing the improvement in your work - not to mention the tremendous time and energy you’ve invested. So I’m sure you’ll be a leading candidate the next time around. I have so much faith in you that I’ll personally help you bridge those small gaps that need to be bridged before your next promotion.”

 

Ugh. Martin’s boss has burst his balloon - elegantly, but still...POP. 

 

What did his boss mean by bridging gaps? Are these gaps so significant that you can’t be promoted NOW? How frustrating!

 

Now let’s look at this from the boss’s point-of-view. Remember that the boss is noticing things from his or her perspective. They might be real or imaginary - but as far as the boss is concerned, they exist. I’ve seen this hundreds of times and have even dubbed it the “virtual gap” - the difference between how you might perceive yourself and how others think you should be. 

 

Let’s begin with how you can avoid such an unpleasant scenario. As I’ve written in previous posts, your boss must know, very clearly from day one, that you are aiming for a promotion one day. So a year before you want to be promoted, sit down with your boss and say something like this:

 

“In about a year, I would like to be considered for promotion and I would very much appreciate finding out, from your perspective, what competencies I would need to develop in order to do so. Also, it would be helpful to know the areas where I need to improve.”

 

Hopefully, your boss will be receptive to such initiative, so your next step would be to ask your boss how you can receive help in building the competencies and making the necessary improvements. This step is designed to create a kind of partnership between the two of you in positioning you for a promotion. To formalize things, it would be a good idea to construct an informal mentoring program with your boss so that they become committed to this process. Read my case study about Lisa, who used this strategy to advance her career.

 

Six months into the process, take out that original list of competencies and areas of improvement to gain their perspective on your progress so that you’ll know which gaps still have to be bridged.

 

Then, three months further down the road, set a meeting with your boss so that you can try to understand his or her perspective regarding a possible promotion. Knowing this ahead of time will prevent a future let-down and will also allow for an open discussion regarding how to proceed, with or without your boss’s blessing.

 

Following this process, while not always easy, will keep you in the driver’s seat when it comes to achieving your next promotion. It’s all up to you...and nobody else.

 

Good luck!

 

And always remember:

 

Great managers are made. Not born.

 

 

 

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Promotion block: when your boss doesn’t want to let you go

In my last post, we looked at four reasons why your boss might be keeping you from being promoted. This time, we’ll be looking at a tough one: your boss simply doesn’t want to let you go.

 

So how can you achieve the career goal of a manager despite a boss who still wants to keep you close by? see  how to measure success at work, right?

 

It’s almost an impossible situation. You’ve been doing an outstanding job and are sure that you deserve a promotion, yet your boss doesn’t want to give you up. Of course, the first thing to come to mind is that you're being penalized for having been such a good employee. In fact, what you then might feel like doing is to seek revenge on your boss by becoming careless with your work. After all, you're not being promoted is all your boss’s fault, right?

 

Wrong. Like in every situation involving two people, both parties have contributed to this situation. You’re probably wondering what you could have done to cause a situation in which your boss would keep you, such an exemplary employee, from being promoted.

 

What you might be surprised to find out is that you’ve played a big part as well. And it probably started on your first day of work. To prove yourself as a competent employee, you soaked up everything that you could about the department, even becoming more of an expert on matters than your boss. You loved it when your boss would refer people from other departments to you, stating that you were the one that knew the most about a particular subject. But you didn’t stop there. Little by little, you also began to handle tasks that were your boss’s responsibility. Over time, you became more efficient than your boss. Oftentimes, your boss would brag about your talents in front of other people in the department - no better way in terms of how to measure success at work, right?

 

So in addition to your earning points with your boss, you also “earned” your boss’s dependency on you. So it’s not that your boss isn’t acknowledging your outstanding work and just wants to keep you close. He or she is simply unable to function without you. Giving you up to promotion would be equivalent to shooting themselves in the foot.

 

This situation is much more common than you might think - and tends to leave many middle managers feeling both angry and frustrated. What’s important to remember, however, is not to let your feelings take control - and to think “prevention.”

 

The first method of prevention is to be aware of the ways you might be contributing to your boss’s dependence on you. In this way, you’ll soon learn just how much your boss depends on you. One telltale sign of your boss’s overdependence on you is their overpraising of you - both in terms of frequency and the kind of praise. What’s hard is that everyone likes praise. But overpraising, like overdoing anything else in life, is usually a cover-up for something else lurking beneath. In this case, it’s your boss’s admission that he or she simply can’t function without you.

 

To prevent this, you have to stop creating situations in which your boss overpraises you. Of course, it might not always be clear when this occurs. So it’s important to take note of such situations and then to avoid them in the future. In this way, you’ll develop a clear picture of how you might be contributing to your boss’s overdependence on you as well as the types of situations to avoid in the future. 

 

In a previous post, Planning your next promotion, here’s how to handle your boss, I provided step-by-step guidance on letting your boss know you’d like to be promoted. Now I’d like to focus on the overdependence aspects a bit deeper.

 

Prevention should begin one countdown year before you decide that you’d like to be promoted. Check how dependent your boss might be on you. Do all department projects go through you first? Are you the go-to person for details regarding your department’s activities? Do you seem more up to speed on things than your boss? If you suspect the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then it is absolutely essential that you take this year to lay the groundwork, so that you can be released from your boss’s overdependence on you.

 

At the beginning of the countdown year, remind your boss of your desire to be promoted as well as the importance of the department’s sustainability. Taking both of these into consideration, stress how important it is to identify and groom a successor who will be able to take on your role one day. On one hand, this will relieve your boss of any anxiety they might be experiencing as they contemplate your exit. On the other hand, you might feel that bringing in your own replacement could present a risk to your career. However, keep in mind that the survival of your career depends on your being set free from your boss’s overdependence on you. 

 

Another crucial preventive action at this stage is creating a group of influential decision makers in the organization who will support your promotion. This measure will help counterbalance any plans your boss might have to thwart your promotion - especially if he or she is over dependent on you. 

 

Remember that these preventive measures can save a great deal of heartache and disappointment as you pursue your next promotion. So by identifying the signs of your boss’s overdependence and nipping them in the bud, you’ll be well on your way towards the corner office. see  how to measure success at work, right?

Good luck!

 

And always remember:

 

Great managers are made. Not born.

 

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Planning your next promotion? Here’s how to handle your boss.

You’re a superstar. You’ve met or exceeded your department’s goals. You’ve won over the trust and support of your team. You’ve even come up with innovative ways of getting things done. All systems go for promotion towards tempting career advancement, right? Well, not quite. There’s still one important thing to deal with: your boss.

 

Your boss, no matter how supportive he or she has been, could actually be presenting the most difficult barrier for your to cross on your way to the corner office. Bosses are funny. On one hand, they are there to manage and develop you. On the other hand, they have their own agenda. And your promotion could be a problem for them, unless managed effectively. 

 

In this update, I’ll let you in on the four main reasons why your boss might actually prevent your promotion.  Then I’ll focus on one of the them, with advice on how to overcome it. In future updates, I’ll address the other three. it is important tempting career advancement,

 

So there are four main reasons why your boss might not want you to be promoted:

 

The first one is competition. Your boss has passed on their hard-earned know-how to you and now you actually might present a threat to them. Industries are full of cases in which middle managers have taken over departments formerly run by their boss.

 

The second reason is that your boss simply doesn’t want to let you go. You’ve been trained to deal with every nut and bolt in your department and now you’re going to leave your boss high and dry...while you pursue your corporate development career path.

 

Third, your boss might honestly think you’re not qualified enough. Though this might just be their opinion, it’s an important one...and one that might very well hold water with key decision makers in your organization.

 

Finally, you might have caught your boss by surprise. Your request for promotion was completely unexpected. It had just never seemed in the cards. Let’s look at this reason a little more deeply.


 

You don’t want to surprise your boss, so let it be known from day one that you intend to be promoted. This doesn’t mean that you should come into your first day at work, declaring that you’d like to be the CEO some day. But it doesn’t mean that a fear of rocking the boat should prevent you from being honest and straightforward about your career aspirations. It’s all a matter of balance and timing.

 

For example, if someone in your organization gets promoted, take the time to congratulate them and to let your boss know that one day you’d like to apply for a more senior position. Hopefully, this would allow you to test the waters with your boss regarding his or her take on the issue. You might hear responses such as, “you have to work hard” or “you have to deserve it”. Don’t take what your boss says too hard or try to prove to them that you are indeed working hard and deserving. At this very early stage, you’ve accomplished enough by just letting your boss know that you’d like to work towards getting a promotion. While it doesn’t seem like much, this kind of declaration is important, as it is the first hint in a series of hints that will prevent your boss from being surprised by your desire to be promoted. And by the way, don’t skip this stage because you’d already mentioned career advancement in your interview. That’s been long forgotten by now. Besides, everyone says this.

 

Once you’ve proven yourself to the company for about two years, then it’s time to have an open discussion with your boss. If you can, try to plan a possible promotion about six months in advance, so as to allow time for your boss to digest your desire and provide you with feedback. Mention a specific position to your boss and ask for advice on how to apply for it. Listen carefully to your boss’s reaction, as you’ll need to plan your next steps according to it.

 

If your boss is for your promotion, you’ll get a great deal of advice on how to go about applying for the position...and you’ll be happily on your way. On the other hand, your boss might answer with a non-committal response, such as “we’ll see” or “we’ve got plenty of time.”  While this might leave you disappointed, it’s still very valuable to you in your journey towards promotion.

 

Naturally, this kind of response means that your boss isn’t really for promoting you. However, it’s good that you received a non-committal answer, rather than all kinds silly excuses or empty promises about “next time”. At least you know what their stance is. And you also know that you’ll need to curry support from other decision makers in your company. 

 

A while later, another possible promotion opportunity will most likely arise. Notwithstanding your boss’s last lukewarm response, schedule a meeting in order to express your interest in the opportunity and to seek your boss’s support in applying for the promotion. Be sure to mention that time that has passed and how much you’ve learned from your boss’s mentoring, which has led to your improvement. Emphasize that your boss’s opinion is very valuable to you and that any advice that can be provided would be highly appreciated. One word of caution: show confidence in your decision to apply for the promotion. Do not waver or ask your boss if it’s a good idea. This will result in unfruitful dialogue, possibly derailing your intentions for promotion. (By the way, if you’re not sure yourself, why not download my ebook, Time for Promotion for FREE (an $8.99 value).

 

After you’ve made this request, sit back and listen very carefully to your boss’s response. You’ll find out your boss’s stance as well as what they’re willing to do, through both formal and informal corporate channels.

 

Of course, the best thing would be for your boss to express complete support and to help you apply for the promotion. But that’s not always going to happen. That doesn’t mean give up; it just means that you’ll be continuing without your boss’s backing.

 

This is the time to tap into the support you’ve been building up with other company decision makers. Sometimes, their vote will be enough for you to get promoted. Other times, they might pressure your boss (directly or indirectly) into having a change of heart.

 

So as we’ve seen, it’s important to let your boss know of your intentions to be promoted from the moment you begin your new job. In most cases, if you’re both on the same page, then you’ll be supported in your quest for promotion. In more difficult circumstances, your intention to be promoted will drive you early on to build up a network of decision makers who will support you on your way to success. 

 

And always remember:

 

Great managers are made. Not born. and tempting career advancement,

 

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Your corporate development career path: is it time to give up your dream of promotion?

You’ve tried everything to beef up your resume for internal promotion. And you’ve tried countless seminars and workshops (see my story of Melanie).

 

And you’re tired. And you’re disappointed. But no, it’s not time to give up. Here are the top five reasons mid-level managers give up...and how you can beat them. and continue corporate development career path

 

1. “I’ll never get promoted because it’s their fault”.

You blame the organization. You blame your boss. You blame your co-workers.

You might even blame your dog.

 

You’re the victim of a raw deal. You’ve been dealt a bad hand.  

 

So deal yourself a new hand - and stop playing the blame game.

 

2. “I’m sure I’ll get promoted - eventually.”

Though you’re a leading candidate, that promotion is going to someone else just this time around.

 

That’s all right, because you’re sure they mean it. And you dutifully wait patiently - dreaming about that next time around.

 

But deep down inside, you know that you’ll never be promoted. Time to wake up from dreaming.

 

3.  “Promotion will come at the right time.”

Under the right conditions, you will be promoted. That’s the way it works at your company. After all, it’s their vested interest to see you succeed.

 

But when will these “right conditions” come about? Ever?

 

Don’t let yourself get stuck in the same place.


4. “I’m too busy to deal with promotion right now.”

Your job. Your family. Your friends. Your obligations.

 

But what about your career?

 

Is everything OK?

 

What about the little disappointments? The lack of clear direction? Decreased motivation? Inadequate reward?

 

These symptoms, if left untreated, are guaranteed to get worse as time goes by. And one day, you’ll find yourself dreading your job.

 

Don’t get to this state. Find a way forward.

 

5. “It’s really out of my hands.”

 

You’ve been passed up in the past. And it’s left some pretty hefty scars.

 

Maybe you’ve experienced sadness, anger, or even embarrassment.

 

Your self-confidence has been rattled. Perhaps you’re just not promotional material.

 

This thinking is self-destructive and misuses the energy needed to “get back on the horse.” 

 

My advice to you:

Based on these five reasons, I want you to commit to not committing the Five Deadly Sins of career mismanagement:

 

1. Do not hide from trouble; embrace it. 

 

2. Do not wait passively; be proactive. 

 

3. Do not confuse being asked to wait patiently with a real offer for promotion.

 

4. Do not say, “I don’t have time.”

 

5. Do not declare anything “out of your hands.” It’s in your hands. 

 

And continue your corporate development career path


And always remember:

Great managers are made. Not born.

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Pave your corporate development career path by branding yourself for promotion

 

We’re all brands.

 

No, I don’t mean that we all wear certain brands of clothing.

 

Each of us is made of up characteristics whose combined effect is a brand. And like with others brands, we can create a need - a desire - for you in your organization.

 

So let’s get to work so that you can pave your corporate development career using the classic 4 Ps - Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. look on  corporate development career path

Product

Who are you? What do you have to offer your organization? Certainly not “more of the same” - otherwise people won’t be able to differentiate you from the others. (Read my story of Jane, who realized this just in time.)

 

And take a lesson from marketing and hammer out your USP - unique selling proposition. 

 

Price

Make yourself priceless. How? By making sure that you are the “go-to person” when it comes to an area of specialized knowledge. Pick an area of interest to your organization and make sure you are the most up-to-date - and watch the others come flocking for your input. 

 

Place

Be available. With the plethora of social networking tools out there, availability is a no-brainer. And in our 24/7 world, sitting at your desk in your office isn’t enough. Ensure that key contacts know the best channels for reaching out to you.

 

Promotion

It’s not a dirty word. Yes, many of us were raised on the idea that “modesty is the best policy.” It certainly is, if you don’t want to get recognized by others.

Of course, I’m not talking about running the halls of your organization, shouting out your latest achievements at the top of your lungs. Or spamming your colleagues with each triumph. There is a happy medium between keeping things under wraps and being obnoxious.

Just keep in mind that to be successful, brands must be promoted - and identify how you can promote yourself. 

 

My advice

Over the years, I’ve met with managers who’ve resisted self-branding and other career advancement solutions. They view the whole idea as possibly artificial and sometimes even pretentious. And they’re right. There’s a little of both in self-branding, but they’re still essential for earning the recognition of others. 

 

Perhaps begin with one of the Ps and see how it goes. Once you feel comfortable, move on to another P until you’ve completed the whole marketing mix.

 

And always remember that when it comes to career goals for managers:

 

It is important for you to be promrted ? this is for you. ? corporate development career path

Great managers are made. Not born.

 

 

 

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Brand yourself for promotion

We’re all brands.

 

No, I don’t mean that we all wear certain brands of clothing.

Each of us is made of up characteristics whose combined effect is a brand. And like with others brands, we can create a need - a desire - for you in your organization.

So let’s get to work branding you using the classic 4 Ps - Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.

 

Product

Who are you? What do you have to offer your organization? Certainly not “more of the same” - otherwise people won’t be able to differentiate you from the others. Take a lesson from marketing and hammer out your USP - unique selling proposition.

Price

Make yourself priceless. How? By making sure that you are the “go-to person” when it comes to an area of specialized knowledge. Pick an area of interest to your organization and make sure you are the most up-to-date - and watch the others come flocking for your input.

 

Place

Be available. With the plethora of social networking tools out there, availability is a no-brainer. And in our 24/7 world, sitting at your desk in your office isn’t enough. Ensure that key contacts know the best channels for reaching out to you.

 

Promotion

It’s not a dirty word. Yes, many of us were raised on the idea that “modesty is the best policy.” It certainly is, if you don’t want to get recognized by others.

Of course, I’m not talking about running the halls of your organization, shouting out your latest achievements at the top of your lungs. Or spamming your colleagues with each triumph. There is a happy medium between keeping things under wraps and being obnoxious.

Just keep in mind that to be successful, brands must be promoted - and identify how you can promote yourself.

 

My advice

Over the years, I’ve met with managers who’ve resisted self-branding. They view the whole idea as possibly artificial and sometimes even pretentious. And they’re right. There’s a little of both in self-branding, but they’re still essential for earning the recognition of others.

Perhaps begin with one of the Ps and see how it goes. Once you feel comfortable, move on to another P until you’ve completed the whole marketing mix.

 

And always remember:

 

Great managers are made. Not born.

 

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Do you really know what your co-workers think about you?

To make success happen, you must actively manage how others perceive you - your talents, accomplishments, and your chances of succeeding in your next job. These are key factors affecting career development.

 

Sounds confusing, I’ll admit...

 

You’ve been told all your life that you just need to “believe in yourself” and now I’m telling you that this is only part of the story. ( and  see how you can tempting your career advancement. ) 

 

The more important part is that you need to begin recognizing the gap between how you see yourself and how others see you.

 

And there is definitely a gap, so don’t try to sweep it under the carpet. Unfortunately, I’ve come across plenty of managers who refused to recognize the gap, resulting in career crisis - and spoiling chances of tempting career advancement.

 

So here’s my message to you:

 

Identify the differences between your self-perception and how others perceive you. Then, actively influence how you are perceived.

 

Take action today by following these steps: and tempting career advancement 

 

1. Understand the big picture. What values does your organization focus on? What qualities do managers who’ve been promoted have? Do your research.

   

    Organizational values (e.g., employee commitment, community service)

 

    a.    _________________

 

    b.   _________________

 

    c.   _________________

 

 

2. Get pleasantly surprised. Many managers, when seeking feedback from others, focus on negative aspects.       Instead, ask what you see as your strengths. You’ll probably be surprised to hear things that you’d perceived as nothing special - but others see as exceptional.

                      

Strengths that I think that I have and how others perceive these

 

My strenths 

(as I see them)

Function I have consulted Function’s perception of my strength Is this perception new to me?
       
       
       
       
       

 

3. The follow-up. Understand what others have not identified as something you think you’re especially good at. Ask about these, as they either could be perceived as negative or not as noticeable as you’d thought. 

 

Based on my investigation, here are the skills that I need to develop to be valued in my organization.

 

    a. _________________

 

    b. _________________

 

    c. _________________

 

4. Get caught in the act. You now know what’s valued at your organization and what skills you need to develop.   

 

Not hard, is it?

 

But what’s so surprising is that most managers aiming for promotion don’t follow these simple steps, leading to a failure rate of a staggering 70%!

 

And what’s even worse is that their education, experience, and talents are often on par or even better than those who beat them out on promotion. 

 

My advice to you:

Understand that while believing in yourself is important, it isn’t the whole picture.

 

If you treat it that way, you’ll move away from your goal because you’ll lose touch with the way you’re perceived by others. So work on actively influencing this perception .

 

And always remember that when it comes to tempting career advancement

 

Great managers are made. Not born.

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Thank you!

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