Meet Lucy. She wants a promotion.

Meet Lucy. She wants a promotion. Meet Lucy. She wants a promotion.Posted November 14, 2013, by Andrea Riddell A friend, lets call zu sich Lucy, recently came to me with a conundrum. She had wanted to apply for a new role at her current workplace and had discussed her suitability with her manager, as the role would essentially be a promotion. She welches ready for some different challenges but notlage sure if she would qualify for a full-blown step up the ladder. Her boss had concluded that she was not, in fact, ready, but was definitely on the way. Lucy then asked for some projects and tasks that she could work on in order to prepare herself for a similar role in the near future. Lucy asked her manager for a promotion Put yourself out there This is key, people Firstly, dont be afraid to ask for a promotion. Putting yourself on the line and essentially talking up your performance can instil the fear of god into some people, particularly women. Youre essentially putting a magnifying g lass on your skills and potential and asking someone to analyse your suitability. The problem is, employees tend to see the promotion/pay rise question as something that constitutes a yes or no answer, when in reality its an open and ongoing discussion. Make sure youre ready A pay rise would be nice, but are you ready for the extra responsibilities and workload that comes with it? If youre not excelling at the work youre already doing then it might be hard to convince your manager that youre ready for more. People progression at different rates. Levels of ambition also differ. Dont feel like you need to take on more if you actually dont want to. You need to prepare yourself for the discussion with your manager. Put together a record of your performance, including how youve managed to meet your KPIs and all your other achievements. That way youll have solid evidence to show that youre ready. Lucy wasnt sure if she wanted the extra responsibility And what if youre not ready? After ask ing for a promotion and being albeit kindly rejected, Lucy then asked her boss how she could work her way up to that position and together they highlighted some projects that she could take on to facilitate this. The conversation doesnt finish when your boss declines your request for a promotion. Just because you dont happen to be ready right now does not mean that you wont get there in the future. Ask for some mentoring on how you can progress and gain more experience. This will not only make sure youre on an upward trajectory, but it will also show your boss that youre serious about your career and your future at your workplace. Now back to Lucy A couple of weeks later, I checked in with Lucy. Over some Peking duck she told me how her boss had perhaps absent-mindedly, who knows removed Lucy from some of the projects that were meant to prepare her for a higher position. She was confused that her boss would help her devise a progression plan, only to act as a blockade. I encoura ged Lucy to schedule another chat with her manager to find out what her intentions were. Perhaps she had changed her mind and didnt believe Lucy was ready for those projects. Or perhaps, with limited time and resources, she was re-delegating to the people she felt were more suited. Lucy and her manager devise a plan How to stop this happening to you Managers can be busy, and its hard to remember everything when youre busy. Perhaps Lucys manager had just forgotten. Or, even worse, perhaps Lucys manager was passively (and somewhat aggressively) showing Lucy she didnt have confidence in her abilities. Sometimes discussing a plan to take on more work is not as effective as actually putting together a plan to take on more work. Lucy and her manager need to put together a timeframe for Operation Promotion with several progression checkpoints along the way. This would help keep Lucy on track to career ascendancy. If youre in the saatkorn predicament as Lucy, heres what you need to remember Start the discussion before your performance review. You dont have to wait for the annual performance review to ask for a promotion. Approach your boss when youre ready. Your career progression is an ongoing thing. Its not just one conversation. And its not about one single promotion. Its about growing and refining your abilities and skillset. Not many people are happy to rest on their laurels and reach a plateau in their career. If youre looking to keep interested and challenged youll need to view this as an ongoing process. The ball is in your court. Dont rely on your manager to remember that youre trying to groom yourself for a promotion. Keep tabs on your performance and ask for feedback. Youre in charge of your career. Devise a plan. Great. You want a promotion. But how are you going to get one? Make sure you and your manager are clear on how youll be achieving your potential. This way, you will both know when you are finally ready. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice Administrator CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineAndrea RiddellRelated ArticlesBrowse moreCreative careersDesigningDesign. Code. 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