How To Manufacture A Promotion At Work

Rick Matsokotere
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read

Is there a science to getting promoted at work? Can you deliberately set out to become a manager at your job? Is it possible to set yourself a target to have your boss’s job and then do it?

Many of us secretly wish to get a promotion but we are shy about it. We secretly fantasise about having a higher title at work and having the money that comes with it but we dare not tell anyone. After all, we don’t want to be labelled as ambitious or cutthroat on the job.


But if you are going to be in a job, getting a promotion can be a good thing, many times coming with more money or as a stepping stone to more money. A promotion can also be a way to get out of a boring job e.g. becoming a manager in a call centre in order to get off the phones yourself.

Do you know what promotion is though? What promotion really entails is being given more responsibility in the running of the organisation you work for. Sometimes, the money isn’t even that good if you are in sectors like retail. I’m just trying to make sure you know what you are going for.

It’s not just more money you get with a promotion, but it comes with more blame, more things to learn, more problems to solve, more cares to give. It’s important to ask yourself the question, Do I really want this??


If you decide you want it, then here is a practical guide to how to go about getting promoted. It may seem obvious when you see it written here, but the person that you must focus on is the decision-maker in your department/company. This could be your direct boss, his boss or the owner of the company if you’re in a small business.

What matters to that person? Is it profit? Is it safety? Is it order and being organised? Or is it team cohesion? What problems do they need solved within the department or within the team? What annoys them?

Useful tips -

  1. Pay attention to your boss and your business. Their strengths and weaknesses. Their character. Personality. Company culture. If you pay attention to the place where you are right now, you can figure out what you need to do to go to the next level. Companies love to promote people who sing from the company hymn sheet, those who know and will perpetuate the culture. Or someone who covers the weakness of the team. They may have good offence, but you could become the defence. You can use your gift to do this.
  2. Tighten up your work game! It is said one of the most sure ways to get promoted is to learn how to do your boss’s job even better than they do it. When your boss gets promoted or moves on, they will recommend you to fill their role. The part they don’t tell you, however, is that none of that matters if you are crap at your own job. Cover the basics first and then you can rise.
  3. Make your boss look good in front of her boss. Contrary to the popular belief that bitching about your boss at every opportunity will get you her job, this doesn’t work. It only makes you look desperate and untrustworthy. If you go behind your boss’s back to bad mouth her, you will make every other potential person who could have promoted you wary of your ambition. Making them look good even when they are not there, however, will eventually get back to them.
  4. Start using your soft skills and talents at work. Too many times, our roles have the technical requirements spelled out, but we ignore the human skills that will make us indispensable team members. Resolving complex issues, being emotionally intelligent, mentoring junior staff members and applying empathy are all things that are overlooked because they aren’t in the official job description. But they will separate you even from more technically qualified colleagues and get you the promotion.

It is totally possible to make yourself great in life, and your job is no exception. Grow yourself and get that promotion that you always wanted.

Rick

PS If you enjoyed this article and found it useful, then please consider clicking the recommend button so more people can see it :)

Rick Matsokotere

Written by

Author of MINIMUM WAGE REVOLUTION: CREATING YOUR DESIRED LIFE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER! http://amzn.to/2gP7Vz2 | Specialist on WORK and JOBS

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