Get Promoted: Why Your Hard Work Isn't Paying Off
I’ve been guilty of letting my work ethic get in the way of my progress. This is why you’re hard work isn’t paying off and getting you promoted at work.
You’re Not Being Unique
Let me clarify: being unique at work means that you’re working differently than your peers. If you want to get promoted at work, you can’t work in the same way that everyone else does. You either have to be able to accomplish more, find an easier way of doing things, be a leader among your peers, or pursue different avenues of investing in the company -- something that’s unlike what everyone else is doing.
I guarantee that most of your colleagues are too afraid to stand out or rock the boat to try to do things differently. However, it’s a risk that may have a huge payoff in the end.
You’re Working Hard In All The Wrong Areas
Are you putting too much effort into low-leverage areas? Low-leverage areas are necessary but don’t really help you move the needle on the amount of work you’re completing. Usually, these are continuous tasks that will never be completed (i.e. emails) or work that can be delegated.
A way to fight the urge to focus on the busy work is to set a substantial weekly goal and focus on three tasks per day that are going to help you accomplish that goal. Narrowing down your focus will help you accomplish more. Also, avoid multitasking and finish one thing at a time. Trust me, you will get more done that way in a shorter amount of time.
Also, set specific times for when you will process emails, return phone calls and all those other tasks that constantly interrupt your train of thought at progress. Of course, tailor your workflow to your own needs, but develop a systematic way of getting things done. Don’t wait until you feel like doing something, because you will not feel like doing things frequently enough to rely on that.
You’re Not Saying No
Man do I struggle with this! It makes me feel so proud when I’m able to do more than other people. But, I don’t know about you, I got into the habit of taking on way more than I was able to deliver on and it bit me in the ass. I learned my lesson, so let me save you a lot of heartache. DO NOT TRY TO DO IT ALL!
It doesn’t help you when you overpromise and underdeliver. You’re going to set yourself up to burn out and become resentful of a career you probably loved at one point. Setting boundaries by saying no will help you thrive in your career because you’ll be able to maintain and improve the quality of your work. Obviously, expanding your repertoire is invaluable, but you want to only add one or two new things at a time.
