If the notion of asking for a promotion has been on your mind, this month might be a good time to talk with your boss. According to a study conducted by LinkedIn, January is one of the three best months to ask for a promotion; the other two are June and July. This time of year is good for a number of reasons, one of which is the start of a new calendar year, which often lines up with performance evaluations.
Asking for a promotion can be nerve-wracking; however, you can have a successful outcome if you keep your information concise and stick to the facts rather than basing your request on emotions. Talk about your results in a fact-driven way, using data to back up your accomplishments. Don’t give the impression that you are inpatient but rather that you are looking for long-term career growth with the company.
Most talented, capable employees cringe at the thought of “tooting their own horn” at work but if you don’t point your accomplishments out to your boss, chances are they might go by without you receiving the credit you deserve. This is exactly what happened to a director responsible for a large department who ended up losing his job because he never publicized his efforts in turning around an unprofitable segment. He felt so uncomfortable talking about his accomplishments that in meetings with senior management, he refrained from talking about his diligence in making positive changes, thinking it would come off as tactless self-promotion. In looking back, the decision to keep quiet about his efforts was a mistake because senior management had no way of really knowing everything he did to bring about change.
Lesson learned – make sure your efforts don’t go unnoticed by having discussions on a routine basis with your boss throughout the entire year. Describe the changes made and the results of your efforts, if an internal or external customer is happy with your team’s hard work, document their gratitude. Better yet, have them send your boss a note of appreciation.
On the other hand, there are ways in which tooting your own horn can backfire such as in the case of a manager who heard the company might be downsizing. Thinking he were taking a preemptive strike, he started to prove his value, thinking it would keep them from losing his job. He began to talk about his accomplishments on a weekly basis during meetings with the boss and sending emails highlighting successes to his boss and his bosses, three layers up. When the time came to downsize, his area was the first on the list most notably among senior leaders as the person who bragged constantly and was not a team player.
Lesson learned – while you may recognize a pending change with the company, it’s important to work on timing and know when to listen and when to not say anything at all.
The key is how to ask for a promotion without coming off as insensitive to others. In asking for a promotion or raise, it’s best if you plan in advance for the discussion.
Here are some suggestions to help you prepare:
• List your achievements by focusing on the results
• Describe a situation where you made a good decision and the outcome
• How did you implement cost savings in your department?
• Compare before and after results to help you tell a good story
• Look to the future and present ideas you have for making the company more profitable
How have you successfully asked for a promotion? What were the key points you used in making your request?
