Most of us are taught that hard work is the best way to get noticed and promoted in our jobs.
So, many women in the workplace work hard and put in the hours and effort to get recognized. And yet, this doesn’t always translate to career advancement opportunities. The overtime, extra projects, and early mornings simply don’t translate to a promotion.
We have to ask: is hard work the best career advancement strategy?
Working hard can lead to a promotion or raise, but it usually happens as the lower end of your career. Once your mid-level and upper management or senior executive roles, hard work simply isn’t enough for a promotion.
There’s a better strategy for career advancement. And that strategy is having a strategy!
Here’s what you need to know.
How to Build a Career Advancement Strategy
Like I said, career advancement does not happen through hard work alone. Instead, you need to have an effective, thought-out strategy for how you’ll achieve your next promotion or raise.
The reality is that women face unconscious biases such as maternal bias and performance biasthat men simply do not. So, the onus is on you to overcome those by showing a clear plan on how you’ll perform in the role, how you’ll lead, and what ideas you bring that are unique and different.
A strategic plan includes several important steps:
1. Work hard
While hard work is not the main strategy for advancement, it’s still important. Do your best in your current role so you have evidence of how successful you’ll be with a promotion!
Make sure you are protecting your mental health and wellbeing, though, and not say “yes” all the time. Enjoying your job and overall happiness is linked to career success, so ensure your hard work doesn’t come at the cost of your personal happiness.
2. Communicate effectively
Communication is always important when asking for a promotion or raise. But going to talk to your boss can be nerve-wracking, and you may clam up or not say everything you want to.
So, make sure you also write down your ideas. Doing this will help you refine your thoughts and make sure you say everything you need to.
3. Focus on your boss’ needs
To get buy-in for your ideas, focus on what your boss’ goals and plans are—what do they want to accomplish? What is the company trying to accomplish?
If you become a problem-solver for your boss, you’re making the ideas about them and not you. They’ll want to implement your ideas and can start seeing you in that leadership role. Bringing solutions forward about relevant challenges shows leadership and initiative—it’s a preview of how you’ll operate in a higher-level role.
A promotion plan is your strategy for achieving career advancement and opening the door to your next opportunity.
Click on the video below to learn more….!
The advice of “just work hard and wait for your promotion” is outdated and, frankly, doesn’t work. Be deliberate and intentional about creating a promotion plan to bring you to the next level.
If you want to learn how to do this, join my masterclass: My Promotion Plan. It’s designed specifically for women to go from passed over to promoted and achieve their career goals.
