Want to step up? Here’s how

Spike

Been feeling a little restless lately? Feeling like the same old stuff just isn’t cutting it anymore? Reckon you could run circles around your work mates?

Maybe it’s time to step up.

So how can you get promoted, take on more responsibility and hopefully get paid more? Try focusing on a few of these key things to really blow your boss’s socks off!

Take some action

Managers love those team members that go the extra mile because it shows that you know what you’re doing and you think about what they might be thinking about. Your boss will be really surprised if you mention something that maybe no one but him had considered yet – hey, if you’re thinking like a boss, why wouldn’t you get promoted?! Don’t be afraid to ask for more responsibility too – it’s a great way to show your boss that you have what it takes and they’ll be happy with the fact that you’ve backed yourself.

Eat humble pie

If you f*ck something up, own it and take responsibility for fixing it. Even your boss screws up sometimes, but the way he handles it will be pretty different from how a rookie handles it. Explain to your boss what happened and how you will fix it and stop it from happening again – this shows real responsibility and leadership, and is a hell of a lot better than blaming everyone else and getting defensive about it. It shows you’ve got some guts too as it takes a lot to front up to your mistakes and admit you’re wrong.

See into the future

If you’re thinking a few steps ahead, you’re thinking like a leader. Instead of getting someone else to solve a problem that comes up for you, think about how you can find a solution yourself. If you think about the bigger picture and how what you’re doing fits into everything else, you’ll be able to think of much better ways to do things and prevent issues happening in the future. Your boss will love it if you come to him with a problem that you’ve already got a solution for because it shows that you can think for yourself and problem-solve properly, just like he would.

Be the ‘go-to’ guy

In every team, there’s usually one or two people that are the ‘go-to’s for everything. Often they’ve been there a long time and know their sh*t, but even if you haven’t been there for too long, you can still be this person. Your goal is to be the one your team mates come to when there’s a problem because they know you’ll figure out a solution and you’ll be there to help everyone out. It’s not about ordering people around or letting your ego take charge, it’s about being reliable and good enough at your job that people trust you. If your team trusts you, why shouldn’t your boss?

And make sure that you let your boss know you’re ready to step up. They might give you some helpful tips of what they’re looking for, or explain to you the promotion process so you can start ticking these things off to get where you wanna be.

Go get it!

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