What are the best ways to position yourself for a promotion within your company?

The best way to position yourself for a promotion is to demonstrate your capability and capacity beyond your current job. Take initiative to improve something or solve a problem outside your routine work, or better outside your function. If you are a controller and you always do the monthly closing in time without any errors, no one notices it or recognizes it as something special you have done because this is your job and you are supposed to do it. But when you re-engineer and redesign the closing process and reduce it from 5 days to 3 days, everyone notices it. Similarly, if you work on ERP implementation project that is outside the domain of your regular work, you get some extra recognition.

I wrote a Career Discovery workshop for Disney employees at when I worked at WDW Disney University. Key points were: 1. Constantly be the one person that, when the inevitable cuts happen, bosses say they cannot do without. If you start with that philosophy, you'll find yourself constantly looking for ways to make a difference. 2. Don't let your job description define what you can and cannot do. Organizations are filled with gaps. Find a gap and plug it. Soon your bosses may create a job description that lets you soar (that happened to me). 3. Do more of what you are world class at and stop wasting time on those things you are not good at. That philosophy changed my life (from book Soar with your Strengths).

Yes, one can need to go extra mile, achieve more than expectation and take initiatives that will add value to grow in an organization but apart from these prerequisites, the person also need to take care of following : 1) Peer management, as their feedback is extremely important to grow in an organization 2) Stakeholders management, so that they recognize you and this engagement enhance your professional image within the key stakeholders. 3) Subordinates management as their feedback is also important and show your capabilities to handle and drive the team.

Securing a promotion requires a strategic blend of skills, high performance, and effective communication. Key tactics involve aligning with company values, exceeding expectations, fostering strong relationships, seeking feedback, pursuing professional development, showcasing leadership, quantifying achievements, emphasizing communication, displaying initiative, networking internally, adapting to change, and documenting accomplishments. These strategies collectively position you for career advancement.

Go above and beyond, solve problems like a boss, and learn new skills that impress. Network with the bigwigs, share your bright ideas, and always ask for feedback to grow. Be the teammate everyone wants, and that promotion will be yours for the taking!

Navigating the path to promotion involves more than achievements, it's about continual growth. Seeking feedback isn't just about strengths and weaknesses, it's a testament to your openness to learning. It's a proactive step, shaping SMART goals and showing your commitment to progress. Seeking feedback is not just a routine process, it's a strategic manoeuvre in the chessboard of career progression. It's about actively shaping your narrative, setting ambitious yet achievable goals, and showcasing your commitment to being a dynamic and indispensable member of the team.

As human beings, it is natural for us to socialize with other people and develop and build relationships. When you are in good relationship with other people, it creates a natural feeling of liking and admiring those people. Relationships work like magic. When we are in good relationship, It helps us to ignore small mistakes and create more bonding. Building relationships at work is not about nepotism or favoritism. It's part of human nature to like other people and do small favors without even asking.

Everyone needs advocates. When you seek to build relationships in a company or in your community of practitioners, do so with a eye toward developing champions who, when alerted to opportunities that might be a good fit for you, already have you in mind. Don’t forget to be an advocate for others, too!

In the fast-paced change environment today, what could be more important than developing new skills these days? When it comes to positioning yourself for a promotion, nothing is better than being ready with the skill set required for the role. Because of the fast-paced change, the burden of keeping updated with changing skills has shifted from employers to individuals. If there is a new emerging skill increasing in demand for your role, you just cannot keep waiting for your employer to offer the training. To grab the growing opportunities, you need to jumpstart learning that skill before it is too late. When it comes to finding the right people to fit a role, nothing could be more important than those who are ready with the right skill set.

Development skills are essential for personal and professional growth. Key areas to focus on include technical skills, communication skills, leadership skills, adaptability, emotional intelligence, time management and organization, problem-solving, networking and relationship building, continuous learning, and resilience. It's important to set goals, create a plan, and consistently dedicate time and effort to build and refine your skills. Plan the work and work the plan.