There are a few things that will help you get a promotion. Length of time employed and who you know are two of the big ones but I would like to share a few things I have learned and use in the leadership positions I am in. Its two simple words that I use when thinking about promoting someone or suggesting someone for a promotion. First I look at your attitude and secondly I look at the quality of your work.
Anytime I have ever made a suggestion for someone being promoted or being given more responsibility I always first look at that particular persons attitude. We will all have days that we do 110% and other days where we want to burn the whole thing down, but what I am interesting in is your overall attitude. Are you friendly, do you work well with everyone (not just the people you like) and are you able to do the job even when upset. All of these things are great indicators of whether or not you are going to do a good job. If you can’t work with people not only will the work not be done well but the overall moral of the team will be compromised. If you aren’t friendly it will most likely make the communication of the team slow down or even fall apart. If you can’t do the job simple because your feelings how do I know you won’t have a bad week and not show up at all? However if you can do all of those things then not only does the job get down well but it also builds the moral of the team.
On a similar note, the quality of your work must be high. Anyone can do a job, but it takes someone doing it well for things to really get accomplished. Don’t settle for the job simple being done, make sure its done in such a way that people know that if they want it done right they ask you to do it. Someone that is constantly raising the bar on the quality of work they do will almost always be noticed because its a rare thing. Don’t slack off because everyone else around you is, raise the bar!
I have heard so many people over the last 10 years complain about being passed up for a promotion or some kind of recognition. However many of these times its because the person has a poor attitude (always complains, rarely works as a team player, etc) or because the quality of work they produce is poor (never completed, “good enough” attitude, etc).
If you want a promotion work for it, be a team player, communicate well, have an attitude that encourages others to work with you and most importantly don’t take things personally.
Pastor Mike Moore 