Sylvia Asks: I want to get promoted. I even see the job I’d like to have. But I don’t know how to position myself so that I’ll be the natural choice for that work promotion.
Coach Joel Answers: Sylvia, wise company leadership have a succession planning model in place. It identifies the skills needed for each job, then helps to match promising employees who either possess or could develop those skills.
When you understand how the succession planning model works, you can take advantage of that knowledge to help groom yourself for the next level. Let’s walk through three critical steps to firmly placing yourself within your company’s succession plan.
1 – Understand the demands of the job you want.
Look at your target position and consider what it entails and the competencies it requires. What kinds of responsibilities does the job have? Write them down.
Next, under each key responsibility, list the skills needed to do the job effectively. Will you need great communication skills? Good decision-making skills? Will you need to build a team, work in customer care, arbitrate, or give directions?
You may not have to create this list all by yourself. It is likely that the company already has such a list in their succession planning materials. Discuss this with your supervisor or with HR to find out what qualities they require for this job. You might do this at your quarterly review, or you can request a time to talk to your boss about your career advancement aspirations.
2 – Evaluate how your skill set needs to grow.
Make a list of your skills and qualifications. Review your past jobs and look at the qualities you exhibited there.
Now match them to the list of skills needed for your ideal job. Where do you match up? Where do you come up short?
Again, you will likely want to review this list with your boss. She may be unaware of some of your competencies, simply because your work doesn’t fully utilize them or because you’re too modest about your accomplishments. She may also recognize competencies in you that you have not considered.
As you share your career goals with your boss, see if you can get buy-in from her to support you in your aspirations for this job. Even if that does not formally happen, you can still use the organization’s succession planning information to plot your own career advancement goals. You can also work to cultivate other advocates among company leadership who will talk up your qualifications.
3 – Obtain the needed competencies and skill sets.
Now that you have the two lists, work to make them match up. Fill in the gaps to make yourself the ideal candidate for the job.
You may now be a step ahead of the crowd because your boss knows your goals. Now you can work to cross-train, take on more challenging projects, find a mentor, or join committees, teams, and task forces that will impart the necessary skills while raising your profile. Outside of work, you can also study, get leadership coaching, and join professional organizations on your own.
By following the same plan the company does in their succession planning, you’ll be modeling your career advancement on the best available information. When your skills match their own standards for your dream job, you will become the natural choice to step into that position.
