Management is a weird thing. Most people think of a role in management as a step up but it is really a step sideways. You go along in your career gaining skills and experience and then one day someone comes to you and says “you are being promoted!”. You think, now what? When I received this position, I went from being and individual contributor to being the head of a team of 45 people. That is a big shift. I started reading and learning everything I could about the concept of leading and managing. It was a very slow process and I made lots of mistakes. But in the end, I learned a lot about what it means to lead and manage people and as a result, I learned a lot about what it means to be a great employee. So, this article is the advice I would have for anyone who is looking to be more effective at their job and hopes to be promoted because of it.
First, understand your manager. This is critical. You work for someone who holds the keys to what you want. You need to understand what they value, how they think and what they want from you. Without this, it is doubtful you will be able to move ahead in your company.
What is their communication style? Study the DISC model and find out if they are a High D, High S, High I or High C. Then alter your communication to match their style. Do not walk into a high D’s office on Monday morning and start trying to talk about the weekend. Do not make proposals to a High C without all the data to back them up.
What is important to them? Most of your job is to make your boss successful. Their department goals, or the company goals need to be met. What is it that your boss is looking for from you? This is what you need to concentrate on. As Peter Drucker said: “What does the company need from me?” That should be your first question. Or in this context, “What does my boss need from me?” If you are achieving results in the wrong area, it will not have an impact.
What do they appreciate? Not just what the company wants, but blending with them. Their behaviors will give this away. Do they come in early? You should too. Do they work late? You should too. Do they keep regular hours? You should not try to have a flex schedule. Do they enjoy going out to lunch with vendors? Then you should set some lunches up and invite them. Do they dress up on Halloween? No? Then it might not be a good idea for you either. Yes? Then maybe you should. This isn’t hard and fast but the more you are like your boss and they feel you are like them, the better your relationship will be.
Next, Blend with the organization. What is the company’s mission, vision and values? How are you making sure you are in line with them? If you company values honesty, are you being honest in your approach? If your company values innovation, are you innovating? This seems obvious but people tend to do what they want to do and that isn’t the way to get ahead in your company. You have joined an organization that is trying to do something and the more your work is helping them do it, the more chance you will be given more responsibility.
Lastly, you are being paid to achieve results. Your results and your achievements are the cornerstone of your career. When you look at a resume, for each of your jobs, you should have a paragraph about your job duties and then several bullet points for your achievements. When we advertise for a position, we get hundreds of resumes. I have yet to see one with actual achievements on it. This is critical! You get paid for your job, but you get promoted for what you achieve. Don’t just do what is on your job description. This is the minimum criteria! Work hard to achieve results. If you are a PM, bring your projects in on-time and under budget while creating crazy satisfied customers. If you are in drafting, learn new methods to improve your process and become the fastest and most accurate draftsman on the team. Find ways to increase quality, decrease time, save money and implement them! This is what will get you noticed!
So, if you really want to get promoted or at least get a raise, think about these things. One great resource for learning about management and your career is: http://www.manager-tools.com. They have free podcasts you can download and they cover a broad range of topics.
