Don’t wait for the tap on the shoulder

Tap, tap, tap.

“Congratulations. It’s your turn for promotion…”

No, it doesn’t happen like that anymore. Seniority doesn’t guarantee a promotion any more than getting noticed for doing your job well and working hard.

To get a promotion and climb another rung on the ladder you need to start sharing your success stories.

Tall Poppy Syndrome

The Tall Poppy Syndrome is alive and well but you can’t let it stop you from becoming a better person or getting the promotion you have always dreamed of. The fear of being chopped down is quite real and stops most people from speaking up about their successes and wins.

How sad would it be if you were never recognised for what you have done?

Tall Poppy Syndrome is intended to keep everyone at the same level. Instead of conforming to such a crazy and limiting concept, think of it this way.  Haters are afraid you are going to stand out and that you will be better than them. You are afraid they won’t like you to be different. But what if simply by standing out, you raised the overall level of the group? What if all the other poppies wanted to follow your lead and grow to your heights?  And they will!

Be brave. Do you own thing and do it well, then tell people about it. Excite them. Show that it’s possible. Be seen. (link 14th Feb – Ditching the invisible woman syndrome.) Be their inspiration. It’s your way of helping them climb the ladder with you.

How can you start?

Begin by talking about your successes with people close to you. Get used to the feeling of slight discomfort when acknowledging your own wins. Over time you will realise that most people are genuinely happy for you and it will no longer feel uncomfortable.

Ditch the performance review

Large corporations like Deloitte, Accenture and many more are ditching the performance review process.  They believe that “all the time, money and effort spent didn’t ultimately accomplish their main goal — to drive better performance among employees.” You may not have the power to ditch the review but you can change the focus of the meeting and its timing. Consider implementing systems such as having a monthly meeting with your leader or manager about your top three wins for the month. Make sure they know what you have achieved and the great things you’ve been responsible for.

Monthly wins meeting

Consider implementing systems such as having a monthly meeting with your leader or manager about your top three wins for the month. Make sure they know what you have achieved and the great things you’ve been responsible for.

Use the meeting to demonstrate your conscious decision to continuously improve yourself and discuss the three areas you are focusing on for the next month. When you have a clear plan it’s much easier for your manager or leader to support you and to point out opportunities that may be of interest to you.

Instead of waiting for the tap on the shoulder, or looking at the rungs of that ladder from a distance, take a decisive step forward. Share your success stories. It’s an acknowledgment, not a boast.

Leadership and Executive Coaching can help you make changes like these in your working life. Join the Athena Coaching network and get more tips like these so that you can achieve your own success.