3 Keys to Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Katherine Asks: Your book, Getting Ahead – Three Steps to take your career to the next level focuses on the three key factors that will propel people up the career ladder – improving perception, increasing visibility and exerting influence. Why should I focus on these three steps? Won’t my work and professionalism speak for itself?

Joel Answers: Katherine, I wish it was that easy. The truth is that how quickly and successfully you climb the corporate ladder depends on far more than just your excellent work. Advancement is based on the perception you create, not just the merit you have accumulated or the skill level you have achieved.

For example, one person I coached was a senior business development manager who worked for Cisco Systems for 11 years. He came to me for coaching because he wasn’t advancing in the company as quickly as he wanted to. Even though he had solid performance reviews and excellent job skills, he had gone four years without a promotion.

Like you, Katherine, this man thought that his work should speak for itself. He believed if he just worked hard and did a good job, people would notice him. But it didn’t work that way.

Because he didn’t let management know how valuable he was to the organization, they overlooked him. Think back to when you were in school. Didn’t the teacher recognize the person with the raised hand? While others flew under the radar?

The PVI model provides the art of getting ahead. It gives you simple steps to “raise your hand.” They help you improve your perception, increase your visibility and exert influence. When you do these things, you get noticed… and get advanced.

• Improve Perception.

  You can help others have a more positive view of you. Simple steps can change their perception. Speak up. Take the lead. Praise others. Let management know how your work benefits the company. Help others see you as a leader, a team player, a hard-working problem solver.

• Increase Visibility.

  How many people know what you do? When others are aware of your value, they can help you in climbing the corporate ladder. You might take on a project no-one wants or a high-profile project.You can interact with people outside your immediate organization and make ways to inform your boss… and even your boss’s boss about the important things you are working on.

• Exert Influence.

  The surprising thing is that you don’t need any kind of title or authority to have influence. Your character and the way co-workers perceive you can build the trust and respect needed so they listen to your comments and value them.As you are known for getting things done, building alliances, and gaining buy-in for your ideas, you begin to be the kind of person people rely on. You can sway decisions. Others want to follow you. Then it only makes sense to promote you to a position that uses these qualities.

Katherine, doing a great job is the foundation that the PVI model builds on. It can’t work if the person does poor quality work. But once you have that foundation, using perception, visibility and influence helps you rise to the top, stand out, and get promoted. These are three key qualities of great leaders that will play an essential role in your career journey.

Buy Getting Ahead and learn how the PVI model can help you. Contract Joel for executive coaching so he can personally help you in climbing the corporate ladder.

Talkback:
What did you do this week to move up the corporate ladder?