Have you ever been passed over for a promotion or pay raise that you deserve?
That stuff can be demoralising!
You work hard and look forward to getting promoted, getting pay raise etc.
When the time comes for some reason you do not get what you deserve.
So what could be the reasons why some people do not make the career progress they ought to make at work?
And what can someone who's working do to ensure they progress faster at their work?
1. Lack of Soft Skills
Soft skills are a combination of people/social skills, communication skills, emotional intelligence skills, and personality traits that make it easy to get along and work better with people.
A lot of working individuals lack those.
Still they might be good at their job.
So if you do your job well for instance but
- lack teamwork and do not relate well with your bosses, colleagues, what do you think will happen?
2. You Don't Know How to Communicate Effectively
You claim you are good but how many people realise how important you are or how relevant your work is?
Do you have engaging discussions with your superiors? If you are invisible you will always likely be overlooked for the good things.
Learn to make good presentations and communicate the things you achieve more effectively. Your weekly, monthly or quarterly reports should be well written and copied to all relevant superiors & managers (relevant so you don't go copying everybody).
Ask your superiors for feedback on your work. Engage them.
When you and your work are seen/recognised your chances of getting what you deserve increase.
3. You Do Not Know How to Negotiate or You Can't Sell Yourself
The guys that move ahead know how to get what they deserve.
During team meetings, monthly or quarterly appraisal sessions how clearly do you sell your achievements?
You may hit your targets or perform well consistently but like we said earlier you have to be able to show that (without bragging of course).
Use team sessions, quarterly appraisal meetings to clearly show what you accomplish.
As for negotiation, like Sales, it is a skill many people overlook.
Until it costs them in their career.
For example the guy who doesn't know how to negotiate will almost always get a lower salary because he failed to show his worth and demand more during interviews.
He resumes work only to discover that a colleague who joined the same time in a similar role earns more.
Life is not fair.
Sometimes life gives you what you are able to get for yourself.
Negotiation skills are applied in almost every aspect of our life - marriage/relationship, job/career, business, while buying stuff etc.
4. Not Going the Extra Mile
You know those kind of people that just do only what they are asked to do?
Or exactly what's in their job description and no more?
They can't come and kill themselves kind of people, right?
The people who go further in their career, earn more and get picked for new opportunities are the ones who go the extra mile.
The ones who learn new skills without being told so they can contribute more at work outside their immediate job description.
The ones who try to make themselves as indispensable as possible.
And as versatile in their roles as possible.
This type will be the last to lose their jobs even in a depression.
So the Summary of How you Win at Work?
- Be competitive
- Relate well with people (especially those that matter)
- Be sure to communicate your achievements clearly
- Learn to negotiate better
- Learn to sell yourself and your company more effectively
- Go the extra mile and show your value. Be almost indispensable
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