As an after-sales professional, you want to demonstrate your value to your manager and get feedback and support for your career growth. But how do you do that effectively and consistently? Here are some tips to help you show your worth and get guidance from your boss.
The first step is to understand what your manager expects from you and what their goals and priorities are. This way, you can align your own goals and actions with theirs and show how you contribute to their success. You can do this by having regular conversations with your manager, asking them about their challenges and needs, and sharing your progress and achievements. You can also use tools like SMART goals and OKRs to set and track your objectives and key results.
The second step is to seek feedback from your manager and act on it. Feedback is essential for your improvement and learning, as well as for building trust and rapport with your boss. You can ask for feedback in various ways, such as during one-on-ones, performance reviews, or after completing a project or task. You can also use tools like 360-degree feedback or peer feedback to get a broader perspective on your strengths and areas of development. When you receive feedback, make sure you listen carefully, ask clarifying questions, thank your manager, and follow up with actions.
Thank you for your article that effectively highlights the importance of seeking and acting on feedback professionally. Your clear understanding of how valuable feedback is for personal and professional development and building positive relationships with managers is truly appreciated. The various ways you mentioned for receiving feedback, along with the emphasis on active listening and follow-up actions, provide valuable guidance on how to effectively implement this principle. Your message truly emphasizes the significance of feedback in driving improvement and learning in the workplace. Thank you for sharing such insightful and valuable information.
Feedback is a gift. Just as important as seeking feedback is hearing advice with an open mind and a desire to implement it. Remember that feedback is an opportunity to understand how others perceive you and your work. You don’t have to agree with it, but knowing others’ perspectives is more useful than not knowing. Put yourself in the other persons’ shoes and keep in mind that it can be just as hard to be the person giving the feedback.
The third step is to show initiative and proactivity in your role. This means going beyond your assigned tasks and responsibilities and looking for ways to add value and solve problems. For example, you can suggest new ideas or improvements, take on new challenges or projects, or help out your colleagues or customers. Showing initiative and proactivity demonstrates your motivation, creativity, and leadership potential to your manager and helps you stand out from the crowd.
There are typically skills needed for a promotion that one does not regularly use in their current day to day. Find a way to dive into those areas through training, books, podcasts or other experiences. Show your manager that you take control and proactively seek out opportunities to be prepare for what is in front of you. Work to be the obvious choice for that next opportunity. Don’t strive to be qualified for the role. Continue to develop in a way that will make you thrive in that role.
The fourth step is to communicate your achievements and impact to your manager. This means highlighting your results and outcomes, not just your activities and efforts. You can do this by using data and metrics to quantify your impact, such as customer satisfaction, retention, revenue, or cost savings. You can also use stories and testimonials to showcase your impact, such as customer feedback, case studies, or success stories. Communicating your achievements and impact helps you showcase your value and credibility to your manager and build your personal brand.
The fifth step is to ask for guidance and support from your manager for your career growth. This means expressing your interests, aspirations, and goals, and seeking their advice and input. You can do this by having career conversations with your manager, asking them about their career path and learnings, and requesting their mentorship or sponsorship. You can also ask for specific guidance and support, such as learning opportunities, training, coaching, or exposure to new projects or roles. Asking for guidance and support shows your manager that you are eager to learn and grow and that you value their expertise and experience.
The sixth and final step is to build a positive relationship with your manager. This means treating your manager with respect, trust, and appreciation, and showing your personality and professionalism. You can do this by being honest, transparent, and accountable, by acknowledging your mistakes and learning from them, by celebrating your wins and thanking your manager, and by showing interest and empathy for your manager as a person. Building a positive relationship with your manager helps you create a strong bond and rapport with them and foster a supportive and collaborative work environment.
Often overlooked, dependability has a major impact on career progression. Bringing comfort to those above you regarding your reliability to do what you say you’re going to is a sure way to put yourself on the short list for a promotion. All the same, failing to deliver on expectations will quickly remove you from all consideration.
Ensure you add value to the organisation in any capacity or duty you have been given. That's the starting point to creating a relationship with your line Manager.