Self-promotion - Make It Happen Tipsheet

Make It Happen Tipsheet
Career Management and Life Balance

Self-promotion

Almost everyone dreams of getting that big promotion, yet for most people the goal is elusive, and infrequently occuring. So what is the secret of getting the bigger chair, private office, and higher salary?

The big secret is that there is no big secret. When someone is promoted, "everyone" thinks they know the reason: luck, strong relationship with the boss, right place at the right time, and so on. We are also led to believe that hard work and long hours will make it happen. In some organizations, and for some people, these factors all play a role, but let me suggest that there is something else going on.

The first time I was promoted into the management ranks, I asked my boss why he promoted me. His answer? "I promoted you to a manager because you are already a manager." When I looked around, I realized that the scope of my responsibilities were very much the same as the managers around me.

If you are looking for a promotion, or at least some recognition, the key is to look around: who is modelling the behavior of a manager? How have those who've recently been promoted stepped up to the plate, and can you do likewise?

Self-promotion doesn't mean bragging or tooting your own horn. And it certainly doesn't mean politics. Self-promotion means spending the time to model yourself into a great manager, and then deliver like a great manager, before you actually are one. The fastest way to getting that promotion is self-promotion - but of a decidely different kind!

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