A raise in 2019 would be nice, wouldn’t it? You’re ready for a new challenge, and have lots of ideas on how your organization can stand out as a leader in the industry. Promotions don’t just fall in our laps; we have to put forth our best selves and craft a sound strategy to make them happen.
I’m a huge fan of personal and professional development. Regularly setting new goals for ourselves helps us tackle boredom in our career, gives us further skills to add a résumé, improves our health from the satisfaction of meaningful work, and, of course, increases our chances of securing promotion.
Here are five promotion-worthy attributes and courses that will help you learn them, so you can land a promotion by Q2. 2019, we're coming for you!
Conflicts at work cause stress, especially when they involve political views, lifestyle values, or
personality clashes.
"Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution" by Coursera is a four-week course that looks at internal conflicts. The course examines the intricacies of interactions between different cultures and covers stereotypes, generalizations, communication styles, and communication strategies. It’s a unique look at conflict resolution from a diverse perspective.
Managers want to promote people who can work without direction and constant communication. According to Salesforce, a staggering 86% of corporate executives, employees, and educators blame ineffective internal and external communications as a primary reason for failures in the workplace. "Internal Communications Methods: Strategy and Tactics" by Udemy looks at how to create an effective communications culture. In less than ninety minutes, you’ll learn how to strengthen your communication using various communication methods.
3. A growth mindset.
Displaying a growth mindset and
positive attitude helps you stay motivated and engaged. In the
"Developing a Learning Mindset" course by LinkedIn, Gary Bolles shows you how to make learning a fun part of your routine. You’ll look at what drives your desire for learning, explore how the brain learns and remembers information, and have a strategy to create a self-inventory that tests your learning preferences.
When you’re a good listener, you understand what’s required of you better, and are more likely to be
productive.
"Improving Your Listening Skills" uncovers what makes good listening a rare art, how to develop the mindset of someone that listens and strategies to improve your listening skills. Seeking out and applying feedback is a crucial attribute of someone who's likely to receive a promotion, and listening enables you to do both.
5. Knowing how to negotiate.
Lisa and Elizabeth McLeod offer a Lynda course called
"Learning to Be Promotable" that covers the ins and outs of what it takes to land a promotion. The course is less than 90 minutes and covers the language of
leadership, active listening, getting recognized for your work by creating supporters, how to have meaningful work interactions with coworkers and senior leaders, and when and how to
ask for a promotion.
Don’t forget to explore the courses that your employer offers, too. Hopefully, you’ll come across some good ones that support the characteristics of someone managers love to promote. Ultimately, though, if there’s room for career advancement in your department and organization, let your work do the talking. If you work hard, people will notice. And if you feel trapped in your role because of a lack of growth plan, get out.
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Rachel Montanez is a career coach and career development speaker. Check out her website here and connect on LinkedIn here.
