Category Archives: Advance Your Career

Maybe you see yourself as a consistent overachiever—someone who always gets the job done well and on time—but you still have the sneaking suspicion that you’re not one of the boss’s favorite employees. Perhaps one of your coworkers has a much stronger rapport with your boss, even though you always go above and beyond expectations. Your coworker probably does each of these three things extremely well:

Keeping your boss informed about her key accomplishments and their results for the organization. Striving to be a top performer, not only doing what is expected but taking on higher-level projects and responsibilities whenever possible. Proactively building relationships with leaders across the organization.

As a result, your coworker gets noticed by company leaders—not only your boss, but other leaders as well, like your boss’s boss.

Becoming the favorite employee at work requires some political maneuvering—think of it as strategic relationship building. The … Continue reading How to Become Your Boss’s Favorite Employee →

Simon wanted to have an extremely productive upcoming year. He reached out for executive coaching so he could take the necessary steps to help him improve his work performance. With advanced planning, he knew he would be prepared to start the New Year with a significant advantage.

This is the plan that I completed with Simon and other clients over the years.

STEP 1 – CLOSE OUT THE OLD YEAR.

Close out the year in an effective way so you are ready to charge forward in the New Year.

1. Wrap up loose ends. Close out those small nagging projects you’ve been meaning to do. Make the phone calls, answer those emails, and turn in expense reports. Essentially you want to clear out dated projects so you can start fresh.

2. Organize your work area. Clean up your desk, put away old papers, toss dated … Continue reading 16 New Year’s Resolutions to Improve Your Work Performance. →

Client Leanne Asks: I’ve positioned myself well by creating a number of opportunities which can raise my visibility with my firms’ leaders. Now I’m stuck in the middle. I have to execute on all the new work, build and maintain my pipeline of new projects, and do my actual day job besides. My concern is that I don’t have the band-width or energy to do all these things at once. How do I optimize the time I spend on the high visibility items?

Coach Joel Answers: What got you here won’t get you there. Do the job you want, not the job you have. Here’s the way I see it: You put a lot of things out there that you could work on – projects that have high visibility and put you in the public eye as far as your superiors are concerned. You volunteered for a number of … Continue reading Is Your Current Job Interfering With the Job You Really Want? →

Client Dave Asks: I just don’t get it! I know I’m doing good work, but nobody seems to notice. I put in the hours, I bring in the clients, I get the job done. My colleagues seem to like me, so I don’t think it’s about improving my working relationships. But I’m sick of feeling underappreciated. It just seems like everything is a drag right now.

Coach Joel Answers: Everyone has dry spells, where it seems like you are unappreciated. The key is to use this time as an opportunity to “kick it up a notch,” as the saying goes. Working relationships can always be improved. For starters, maybe you’re not relating to the right people. Here are three action steps I’d recommend you take right away:

Hitch your wagon to a star Give away gold stars Act like a superstar 1. Hitch your wagon to a star.

If … Continue reading Feel Unappreciated? How to Improve Your Working Relationships →

In the constant struggle to get ahead at work, failing to achieve the success you desire can be quite a painful experience. Promotions you strive for go to others and you feel unappreciated and undervalued. These things lead to a drop in confidence and a depressing work day.

Here are 3 painful questions you might be asking yourself every day:

1. Why am I stuck in my current role?

You may find yourself asking why you’ve been stuck in the same position at your company, even though you consistently perform well.

2. Why don’t my superiors value my efforts?

You may wonder why your boss and company leaders don’t value your contributions.

3. Why does no one know who I am or what I do?

You may feel puzzled about why you remain unknown despite your dedication and hard work.

One of the reasons you might … Continue reading 3 Painful Questions to Ask if You’re Struggling to Get Ahead at Work →

Have you been passed up for promotions despite your hard work, knowledge, and experience? Do you feel like others keep climbing ahead of you on the corporate ladder? Why does this happen? Why do some employees quickly move ahead, while other good employees seem to be stuck where they’re at? The answer–they didn’t use perception, visibility and influence (PVI) to their advantage.

In my article entitled “Getting Ahead: Have More Influence” in the January 2012 issue of Personal Excellence, I provide three easy steps to using PVI to propel your professional career forward. Each step focuses on one of the three components of PVI. By the end of the article, you’ll have actionable steps you can begin to take to further your career.

Perception. Step 1 centers on perception and discusses how you can control how others perceive you. A positive perception will result in increased … Continue reading Use PVI to Propel Yourself Up the Corporate Ladder →

Virginia is hoping to be promoted soon. She approached me to find out what she can do to increase her chances of getting the position she desires.

As I told Virginia, there is one thing you can do that is so important, you are practically shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t do it.

Studies have shown that a mentoring relationship with an influential individual can increase your chances of being promoted by more than 80 percent. So if you don’t have a mentor, it’s time to get one now.

A mentor can help you understand the culture and inner workings of the organization. He or she can work with you to create career plans, improve areas of weakness, provide honest feedback and introduce you to other supportive people.

Katherine Klein, a Wharton management professor, says that mentoring is “a sounding board and a place where it’s safe … Continue reading Want to Improve Your Chances of
Being Promoted by 80 Percent? →

Jeremy had a major wake-up call while reviewing his company’s quarterly financials. It seems that his recruiting costs have skyrocketed this year. The company has never had a solid succession plan in place and Jeremy knew he and his senior managers tended to grab the phone and call a recruiting agency every time there was a vacancy. In addition to the bottom line impact, Jeremy had noticed deteriorating morale and productivity among his existing staff as well. He decided it was time to develop a different strategy.

Jeremy began to research best practices used by other companies. Details from a recent study published in the Wall Street Journal provided some startling statistics. Matthew Bidwell, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, found that external hires get paid 18% to 20% more than existing employees for doing the same job. However, external hires … Continue reading 5 Tips for Promoting from Within →

Jeremy’s company went through a period of downsizing.  His boss, an Executive Marketing Director, left and was not replaced.  Jeremy picked up a lot of the slack and assumed many of his responsibilities.

“It was nice to have that added measure of control,” Jeremy said. “But I was working harder for the same pay.  And my job title was still just Marketing Director.”

Jeremy wanted to ask for a raise, but he doubted the company would agree. What else could he do?  “I knew there was some risk in rocking the boat at all.  But I really wanted to position myself for that raise when things improved,” Jeremy said.

He decided to take it in steps.  He planned his strategy to first ask for a title promotion. Then after he’d worked for 6-12 months in the job with the more accurate description, he figured he could … Continue reading Should You Risk Asking for A Title Promotion? →

Client Christopher Asks: I’ve been at my job for about three years now. I thought I’d just be happy in this position. I mean, I like my job and all.  But I’m finding it’s getting a pretty boring. I realize I’d like a more of a challenge. But I have no idea how to figure out this career advancement process. What does it take to get a more fulfilling job?  How do I even start?

Coach Joel Answers: Good question, Christopher. To help you get started on your search for career and job advancement, you need to make some decisions. These choices will help you find your direction and open the path to a better job.

1. What is your career goal?

I know that might be hard to answer, as you thought you had it solved. But now, take a moment and … Continue reading Four Steps to Career and Job Advancement →