What I’m about to say here applies to any person in paid employment. If you can learn to study and understand what needs to happen to make your boss look good at her job, she’ll do everything in her power to reward and also make you look good in return. Your position in the company or organisation you work for does not matter. Except you’re the top gun or CEO, the simple principles I describe in this article can help you achieve your ultimate career advancement goal in record time.
Why Am I So Sure?
My conviction derives both from personal experience gained in my past life as a high performing corporate employee, as well as my careful observation of successful executives within and outside the workplace.
Under normal conditions, in an organisation that emphasize merit and fairness, employees who get ahead in the workplace are often those recognised by decision makers as being capable of delivering the best benefits to the company.
As an employee I routinely and repeatedly applied the principles I describe in this piece with tremendous success.
Not only did I get rapidly recognised by those at the top of the management hierarchy, but I did it so well that at a point my immediate boss had difficulty holding on to me, because his colleagues relentlessly demanded access to me.
If you’ve read my writing a while, I’m sure you know nothing I do in this regard is an ego trip. I’ve had former colleagues and subordinates ask me for advice on how to replicate the successes I achieved while I was with them.
One of my former direct reports even travelled down to attend a paid coaching session with me.
He said:
“I want to be considered among the top three performers in my function. What do I need to do?”
And I told him what I now outline below in this article.
When next I heard from him, he wrote a long email telling me wonderful progress his diligence in applying what I taught him had brought.
Below are excerpts from that email:
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From: “oseyi emmanul”
To: “Tayo Solagbade”
Subject: update
Great Mentor,
You are really a great mentor. your principles are real and they work. Since the beginning of this year alot of things have happened.
Top among them is the writing of assessment tests for our new line–Line 7. Out of 256 candidates, 75 were selected and out of the 75, 8 technicians were selected to go abroad for training of which I was among. We’ve been to Germany, stayed for 3weeks and now we are back.
Each step I’ve taken ever since you left has been with at least one word from you. It is as if you knew before time the steps and so you left at least a word for each.
For the present step, I remember very well what you said–the reward for hard work is more work. This you said just before you went to act as the production manager…What has happened so far, was firmly placed in me the last time I visited you…text deleted
But I believe you know it has not been easy. The road has been rough and in the roughness is our fineness made. In the toughness is our strength revealed. I remember one of your words-the man who is weak in trials is weak indeed and the man who is strong, who perseveres during tough times is actually strong.
These are what is keeping me going. You sent me a web address for prof. exams. That is still intact and will come up in due course. Expectin(g) to hear from you soon.
…..text deleted….
Best wishes, Emma
Here’s What I Told Him – Which I Now Tell YOU
1. Find out – tactfully – the 5 top performance objectives or targets that your boss has her eyes set on achieving.
It’s easy to do.
Just pay careful attention to what she says her own superiors often demand from her. What output or performance data do they frequently request.
Then note how she reacts to the reports you and the rest of the team turn out with respect to those key performance indicators (KPIs)?
2. Once you’ve gotten a firm idea of what she considers most important for her to look good on her job, go out of your way to learn EVERYTHING there is to know about all those KPIs.
Don’t spare yourself here.
Make up your mind to become the number one authority on those parameters in your boss’ team, and if possible the company as a whole.
You’ll know you’ve succeeded when she, and other decision makers, and of course your colleagues, begin asking for your input or advice/opinion when issues relating to the KPIs arise.
3. Go even further to actively explore practical ways to develop and implement useful improvements (possibly in terms of expenses or time saved) to the performance of the processes or operations measured by the KPI.
Let me warn against a mistake many tend to make when this opportunity appears.
Don’t see it as extra work that you need to be paid for.
Focus on the big picture here.
If you influence the introduction of a better way of doing things that result in more money being made, or less being spent, there will be increased profits accruing to the business.
And if, as I noted at the start of this piece, your company is one that deals fairly with her employees, there will come a time when bonuses or some other forms of reward will be passed on to employees.
If you do this right, your boss will often be given credit as the head of your team, for the benefits the company derives from use of your ideas.
Don’t fret though.
Your efforts will not go unnoticed, but it could take a little while, as long as you keep doing more, for your boss and other decision makers to directly reward you.
4. Don’t. I repeat DO NOT play politics, do flattery or be a psycophant in relating with your boss.
If you want this strategy to work for you, integrity and sincerity must show through in your interactions with her and everyone else.
Make a point of asking her for updates on those top 5 measures.
Be alert to her responses, so you can seize any useful opportunities to propose any new ideas you may have. You’ll find that with time she’ll readily initiate conversations with you on that subject based on the interest you’ve shown.
Believe me when I say that will be a good sign that she values your contributions. You must not fail to build on that success to gain her full confidence!
If you do it right, don’t be surprised if when she has to go away for a few days she recommends that management bring you in to hold brief for her until she returns. That’s how it happens!
5. Your job must not suffer any neglect: At the risk of stating the obvious, you must never be found wanting on your job.
Indeed, successful use of this principle is based on the premise that you will devote relevant attention to exceeding performance expectations at your primary duties.
People must see that you have absolute mastery of your responsibilities, so that when you then volunteer your ideas to them, they will have no cause to raise eyebrows at your gesture!
6. Lastly, it’s important to realize that your job title or position in the company should not stop you from proposing an idea you believe can help the company.
Anyone can come up with a solution that works.
Smart companies realize that, and that’s why they encourage and reward any of their employees for coming up with great ideas that lead to improvements.
Final Words
The above is a summary of what I told the young man who sent me the above testimonial.
Keep in mind that just like me, the rewards did not come to him overnight.
But if you diligently and intelligently persist, like he did, you’ll gradually make a name for yourself. And eventually those who matter – starting with your delighted boss – will begin to reckon with you and reward you accordingly.
Need Help?
If you’d like me to talk with you and help you develop an action plan for getting ahead in your workplace signup for my experience based coaching/consultation.