Getting Promoted: How to Develop The Right Mindset To Advance Your Career.

Professionals work hard and want to be promoted to a new role, whether it's a higher leadership position or a lateral position where they can expand their skills and knowledge.

The challenge many professionals face when it comes to getting a promotion is that they need to figure out what to expect and when they will get it, as it's often unclear in many organizations how and when they can get ahead.?

When the communication is unclear, which is understandable since leaders can't promise that the company will do well tomorrow, employees can easily get demotivated and disengaged. Their attitudes toward the jobs and promotion could become negative, and they fall into a Victim Mindset.?

Often I heard people say,

"I worked so hard and sacrificed my work-life balance, but they (the executive team) hired a new person for the position I've always wanted."

"I worked very hard and deserved a promotion and a raise."

"I have more skills than her/him! Why didn't I get the job?"?

"I feel undervalued and underappreciated. If they don't recognize my worth, maybe it's time to start looking elsewhere."

"I took on more responsibilities but still didn't get ahead."

If you resonate with the above, you are not alone. There are millions of people who say the same thing, and they also didn't get a promotion. The question is, what would you do about it??

When it comes to getting a promotion, having the right mindset is key. In fact, it could be the determining factor between success and failure.?

I could understand that after you feel like you are being burnt a few times, you start to give up. But before letting negative thoughts take over, here are 3 mindsets to embrace and start taking control of your career to increase your chances of promotion.

Take Ownership Of Your Career Advancement

The first thing to know is that You Are Responsible For Your Own Growth. Waiting around for your boss, who is always busy telling you what to do in your development, will not get you a pay raise or land you the next promotion. Instead of handing over your power to other people and being at their mercy, you take the initiative to advance your career.

Here are a few specific things you can do to take control of your own career.

• Set your own development and career goals.
• Improve your communication and ask for clear expectations on what behaviors mean when meeting or beyond expectations.
• Solicit feedback from your boss and other leaders on how you can develop specific competencies and what behaviors you need to focus on.?Be specific.
• Look for mentors, internal and external.

What's your IMPACT??

When it comes to getting a promotion, you don't want to highlight how much you put your head down and WORK HARD. I'm sure you work hard, and so is everyone else. The fact that you work overtime and sacrifice your life won't cut it because other people also work as much as you do. Worst case, this might turn against you that you can't manage priorities or don't have the skills to do the job well.

This is not a competition about hard work and your sweat. It's the VALUE and IMPACT that you bring to the organization that makes a difference.?

One of the key pieces of career advice I often provide my client is "Understand the impact you are providing for the team and within your organization."

For example, you can show your boss a business case that highlights the results, impact, and performance and use them to demonstrate your ability to advance.

This is much better than telling your boss you deserve this promotion because you work hard.

The Growth Mindset

The last mindset to consider when it comes to getting a promotion is having a growth mindset. Embracing a growth mindset means believing that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work, dedication, and perseverance. This mindset helps you see challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth rather than obstacles that hold you back.

A growth mindset can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals, even in the face of adversity. It also allows you to embrace feedback and criticism as opportunities for improvement and to seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth.

For example, when you approach your boss for feedback and your boss doesn't provide specific skills you need to improve. Because you have a growth mindset, you take the initiative to solicit feedback from others, such as your stakeholders, skip-level bosses, or cross-functional leaders.?

Another example is when you ask for a promotion and you don't get it. With a growth mindset, you will use this feedback as data points to improve your performance so you can get stellar results in the next performance review and continue asking for the right opportunity.

By adopting a growth mindset, you can approach your career with a sense of optimism and a willingness to take risks, learn from your mistakes, and continuously improve.

This mindset can not only help you get promoted but also help you thrive in your career and achieve your full potential.

To be considered for a promotion, having the right mindset is a great start. These three mindsets will help your career. Remember, there might be other areas that you need to improve before you can rise to the next level. Make sure you have the right support and ask for advice from those whom you trust and invest in your growth, such as your mentors or sponsors. It's always better that you don't tackle it alone.

Wishing you all the best in rising to the next step in your career.

Nannapat

P.S. Let's chat if you want to be promoted but are unsure where to get started.