Two things you can do everyday to drastically improve your chances of getting promoted

Do you have a passion for social good but feel that you need to be in a higher position to be a change maker? Have you been in the same job for a while and are feeling frustrated that you can’t seem to move up? Or maybe you’ve been day dreaming about rising up the ranks of your company but don’t know how to stand out. Getting promoted is about showing, not just telling, the higher ups that you’re ready and you deserve it. Here’s two things you can do everyday to drastically improve your chances of getting promoted.

1. Do more than what is expected  

Your job description provides a basic outline of what is expected of you. Those who stand out do more than the minimum, they over-deliver. They volunteer for projects, they show interest in other people’s projects and they take on additional responsibility. A secret to rising up in an organization is showing your bosses you can already do the job that you’re coveting. Ultimately it is up to you to create the narrative that says you are invaluable to the organization and that everyone is better off with you taking on more responsibility. This is especially true with nonprofits, social enterprises and CSR departments, where budgets and staff are limited, and where doing more than expected is essential for the sustainability of the mission.  

2. Listen well 

There’s an old saying, ‘if you’re talking you’re not listening’. While it’s important to make sure your ideas get said, it is equally, if not more important to listen to the ideas of others. Whether it is your own staff, colleagues, or boss; people want to be listened to, and more importantly, they want to be heard. Remembering and acting on what you’ve learned from others provides you with a unique opportunity to make a great impression in the future. That puts you in the enviable position of being able to say “here’s the information brief on the social enterprises you wished existed” or “I heard you needed this fundraising budget from Sophie’s team, I got it for you and then revised it to see what it would look like if your new item was included”. 

There’s lots of other tips and tricks that the most successful employees have used to earn their promotion, but covering your basics, listening and going above and beyond, is your starting point.  What have you done to show your bosses you deserve that promotion and perhaps that pay raise that goes along with it?