Promotions: 10 Tips for Moving Up the Corporate Ladder

Very insightful advice for a common employee. Here are my 2 cents regarding the advices in general and #9.

a) How applicable do you think this is to a lot of people where staying at the same organization for more than 2 or 3 years isn't a reality? Also, how applicable do you think this is for employees in small firms where they can't really climb the ladder other than switching employers?

b) Is a promotion really one, if one's work life balance is severely compromised as a cost of accepting such promotion? For example, a promotion with ceremonious raises in salary and benefits but distinctive increase in required working hour contributions.

9) I like your remarks about not sacrificing sanity just to work towards a promotion. In my opinion, no sanity equals no promotion, as management is unlikely to promote an insane employee other than for other political agenda.

Hi Jenny,

Thanks for the post.

Here is my favorite part:

“Focus on work that is soul-stirring (as Tim Gunn would say) and make adjustments along the way. Much better (for most people) to focus on finding work that is a great fit rather than just on getting promoted.”

I LOVE the phrase “soul-stirring” (I had never heard this before) in the context of finding the right work for you.

In the long run, when you do work you at least like and hopefully love, your work performance will likely be so much better. This should obviously translate to more promotions, more money, etc. But like you mentioned, it will immediately result in more happiness.

I also agree that networking is extremely important. I think a big problem with business schools (or at least it was when I was there in the mid 1990s) is that they don't focus enough on the importance of networking and selling. I think selling is especially important for entrepreneurs, but networking is important for everybody. And if you work for somebody else, this includes networking both inside and outside of the company.

One fascinating thing that I have noticed about promotions is that people often have to go to another company to get them. In some cases, managers can't get stop viewing employees in the same way that they were when they were hired. A person might have been hired 3-4 years ago and grown tremendously during that time. But the manager can't or doesn't want to see what the employee has become. It's similar to when parents can't accept their children as being adults, because they remember them when they were very young.

Hey Rachel! Sorry for the delay in replying – I'm honored that you sent this post to your friends who have been feeling stuck. Promotions remind me a lot of dating – it's almost like the harder we grasp for them, the less successful we will be.

It's awesome that you found a way to do more of what you love my making a horizontal move, even though you weren't sure how it would turn out. That's HUGE – and it sounds like it's really paying off for you. Love what you said too about bringing your old skills into your new job – it's amazing how even things that seem unrelated can really help.

Have a great week!

Thanks so much Dani! I hope you're doing well

Hey Greg! Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment – as always

Yes – the phrase “soul-stirring” is one that I now apply to all areas of my life (shopping, dating, apartment-hunting with a friend…you name it!). We all should seek things that are soul-stirring to the extent that we can – it's what makes life worth living.

I love everything you said in your comment – the importance of finding work you at least like (if not love), creating happiness where you are, and the part about networking in AND outside of the company. It's all so important – especially since work is often such a huge part of our lives.

Thanks again for stopping by – I hope you are having a great week!

Hey Erik — thanks for stopping by! When I was managing a small team last
year, all of my direct reports were older than me. In the beginning they
were skeptical, but I just focused on listening to them, collaborating WITH
them, and adding value in all the ways that I knew how (helping them
troubleshoot, brainstorm, problem-solve, etc). I treated them as peers as
much as possible, and showed up as a leader when it mattered. Even though I
didn't have as many years of experience as they did, they knew I was giving
100% every day, always pushing myself and learning, and challenging them to
do the same. I think it's an honor to be in a role where you are leading
people older than you – if that's the case for you, kudos!

Have a great day

Hey, Greg.
Just want to push back on one thing: the concept of “selling” is so last century. No one likes to be sold to and people generally buy from those they trust or have a rapport with. So, instead of plain old selling, I think that “connecting” is the name of that game. Doesn't mean bringing in biz is not important. Au contraire — it's critical!! Especially now, as there's zero room in companies for people who are just overhead. Everyone needs to be thinking about signing business, even those who think they're above it or too academic or too noble.
Also, networking is much more fun when you can take the selling out of it. Instead, go into networking with the idea that you're gonna see how you can help someone else. Kind of goes hand in hand with the “soul stirring” part of career management
dtkunplugged.

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Interesting article. You have made a lot of good points and thank you for sharing those helpful tips. You have to show your boss that you are a hardworking person and that you really deserve the promotion. You should be able to produce good results with the things assigned to you. And don’t push yourself too hard trying to get that promotion. If you really love your job, enjoy it and do things the right way and a promotion may be on your way.