You Work Too Hard

Are you killing your chances at a promotion?

Too many young professionals ask the wrong questions when it comes to getting that next big promotion. They believe that hard work is the best way to excel, or that if they put in enough time they will get what is owed to them. This is entitled thinking, and is like a cancer to your career.

But won’t hard work and dedication land me the job of my dreams?

Too many people are attached to this ancient way of thinking and end up working 80 hours a week. They are hamsters on a treadmill running in the same spot. Instead you should be asking:

“What skills do I need to showcase to be recognized?”

Working smart goes a lot further than working hard in today’s business world. I have managed many employees that knew how to roll up their sleeves and grind it out when the company needed them to, but when it came time for a promotion they weren't always the ones being considered first.

It’s not that they were bad employees. It’s just that the hardest working aren't always the best candidates for a promotion. As you move higher within an organization, critical thinking and problem solving become increasingly important and showcasing those abilities becomes paramount.

Working long hours each week to complete a project shows dedication, but improving a process that allows the project to be completed in less time adds value and demonstrates your ability to take things to the next level. Of course, every company appreciates their hard-working employees, but if your end goal is a promotion, then hard work on it’s own doesn't constitute success.

“Won’t sacrificing my weekends to ensure every deadline is met, and every task is completed, get me promoted?”

Great news for you…………. drumroll………….. you get to keep your job!

Meeting deadlines and completing tasks is what you get paid to do. Don’t get caught up in entitled thinking because you did your job.

But all my suggestions and ideas get shot down or ignored. What’s the point?

If you think like a victim, then you are going to act like one. Did you seek some evaluation from others on why those ideas or suggestions didn't pan out? Learn to ask yourself:

“Was this actually a good idea? Did I pitch it correctly?”

Still, it takes more than trying to improve. Take ownership of your career: Don’t just put your head down, work hard, and expect someone to pluck you up and make you an executive. Be aware of what’s going on in your organization; think and act like an owner. If you had a car wash and your water was out, would you wait for someone else to call it in?

Instead of asking whether you are getting better at your job, a more relevant question you should ask yourself is:

“Have I added any value to my organization lately?”

If the answer is no, then get comfortable in the chair you currently have.

Early on in my career I made the decision to be an owner. The company I worked for had a client with a huge quality problem. We were at risk of losing them to a close competitor, so I asked one of the exec’s:

“Can I take responsibility of the situation?”

This wasn't in my job description, and I certainly wasn't being paid for this level of responsibility. I got the nod to move forward and jumped right in with basic root-cause analysis. From there I identified what needed to change in our process and fixed it. Well executed changes produce immediate, measurable results.

Sure, I could have just asked everyone on the team to work harder and faster, pay more attention to detail, put in more hours and make sure we satisfied our client. We may have even gotten the same positive results in doing that, but what long term value would I have added? Eventually the broken process would unveil it’s ugly face later down the road again.

But what is the benefit in doing work outside of your current job description if you aren't getting paid extra?

Just a few months later I was promoted and entrusted with overseeing all operations for one of our largest clients. The point to the story is that it doesn't take rocket science to showcase your abilities, but it does require an attitude of ownership. The money will work itself out down the road. Right now it’s about getting the experience and exposure.

But what if IT roadblocks my ideas and I don’t have budget dollars to put my projects in motion?

If someone held you under water and you couldn't breathe would you just ride it out and suffocate, or would you fight and struggle to get to the surface? Don’t let challenges and roadblocks suffocate your career.

I was once told we didn't have room in our budget to purchase some software we needed. I could have just let it be, but instead I continued to explain the return on investment we were being robbed of if we didn't do anything. After showing the cost savings that paralleled with productivity enhancement, I was able to get the buy-in I needed. But I wasn't done there. Now it was time to deliver. That’s the most important step; if you want credibility for the next request, you need to deliver on the first.

But how can I be certain I’ll get promoted from taking ownership, working smart, and showing my abilities outside what I’m required to do?

Instead of trying to figure out the exact recipe for getting a promotion, focus your efforts on adding value. More important, make sure you have a way to measure that value. Companies don’t want the warm, fuzzy, feel-good, anecdotal measurements. They want cold, hard, facts. And with those facts come a wealth of opportunities. Remember, it’s YOUR career. Asking yourself the right questions is important, but even more so, is how you respond.

Follow me on twitter @tony411

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