7 Uncommon Steps to Get a Promotion at Work

By Maureen Ross Gemme, MS Ed.

 I’ve been thinking a lot about the Great Resignation during the pandemic.  I think it should have been called the Great Exploration instead. The pandemic really shook things up, didn’t it? Everything changed about work, and how we work and many of us are questioning why we are doing what we are doing.

When the pandemic hit I had about 50 classes booked on my calendar for 2020. I also had like 7 speaking commitments at conferences that were canceled. It was a tough situation for a lot of people but I always had this attitude of wonder. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember, even in my active addiction. I was always hyper-focused on what was going to happen in the future and I’ve learned through adversity that things aren’t always as they seem.

When things look bad, there is always a gift, a gem that I could take away. You know that saying when you are going through hell, don’t stop and look around, just keep on going and you’ll get through it a lot faster? I believe this is true. And I’ve been through enough of life to know that the ebbs and flows are just that. When you are in an ebb, know that you’ll be back in the flow again soon.

As many of you know, I’m a leadership trainer and I work with groups of people to give them tools to improve their synergy and productivity. And I coach individuals who are ready to get to the next level of their potential. The Great Exploration is a time to do this work! There are currently 10 million open positions in the United States and only about 5.5 million people to fill them. There are opportunities my friends!

And I say you may not even have to leave your company but just keep growing personally and you will grow professionally.

So I created a quick list that I’m going to share with you today and it’s called the 7 Uncommon Steps to Get a Promotion at Work. But that’s just a title. So listen to these steps and decide which one are you going to work on this month and get that much closer to advancing into the next best version of you.

• Learn everything you can about your personality style and what makes you tick. When you understand what really makes you happy, and you get to do more of that, leaders will notice you, you’ll get more opportunities, and you will thrive. Too often we dislike 80% of what we do and love 20%. If you could switch that around and love 80%, wouldn’t work be a lot better? Dive deep into exploring your innate strengths and challenges to learn more about yourself and by example, you are teaching others to do the same. One great way to do this is to take the Everything DiSC assessment. This is a personality assessment you take online and you get a very thorough 26-page report and it's all about you. You find out what motivates you and what stresses you out. It gives you a thorough overview of your personality at work. My clients LOVE this assessment and you will too. For only $150 you can get the report and an hour consultation with me to talk about you, your career, your relationships, and how you can expand into leveraging your personality at work and in every area of your life. You can find the link to pay for the assessment and get on my calendar at this https://maureenrg.youcanbook.me.

• Create a practice of excellent self-care. The great resignation began in this country because many leaders were trying to do more with fewer resources and so felt they had little time to take care of themselves let alone their people. However, there is always time, depending on your priorities. If you do not take care of yourself, you are good to no one. This means developing a practice of meditation, or journaling, making time for healthy meals, getting enough sleep, and having downtime to rest, relax and/or play with the people you love. Following these self-care practices, you will get more work done in less time because your energy and focus will be heightened. If you are always putting others’ priorities ahead of your own you will burn out or your stress hormones will end up creating some sort of physical breakdown in your body. In recovery, we learn to put ourselves and our sobriety first but for those of us in long-term recovery, it’s easy to fall back into old patterns of trying to help others all the time and boundaries get blurry and fall to the wayside. Don’t let happen to you. Keep working on your self-esteem and keep your boundaries. Maintain a practice of excellent self-care so you can rise to the top in your career.

• Know your values. Prioritize what is most important to you and you will be able to make decisions easier and have more stamina and resilience to see things through. Understanding clearly what you stand for and then acting on those beliefs and values is what keeps us in alignment with our morals and our heart. Here’s what I mean. You know how sometimes you get feel restless in your job, maybe you think I’m just really tired of this and you’re going to look for another job. Your head says it’s not good enough yet your heart is happy. It’s okay because you like the people you work with. Or maybe you like your boss. Maybe you feel some fear about leaving because it feels too risky and what if you end up with a crappy boss? In order for your head to be in alignment with your heart you need to really understand your values. If you value personal and professional growth and you know you are good at building new relationships then you won’t be happy staying in the job just because you like the people you work with. If you like people in general and have no problem building new relationships, you’ll be fine in a new job and it will be in alignment with your values for personal and professional growth. However, if you value loyalty and security more, then you may want to stay where you are and be perfectly happy not growing too far outside your comfort zone and simply serving the team you are with for the majority of your adult life. That is perfectly fine! You just need to decide who you are and what you stand for and stop comparing yourself to others. I hope that makes sense.

• Take full responsibility for every reaction to things that happen in your life. If you are having a conflict with someone, face it and deal with it. Prepare for the conversation but don’t delay or deny the fact that a conflict exists. Blaming others for your unease or reaction is a cop-out and it’s giving your power away. When you state your perception of things in a confrontation, don’t blame the other person for how you feel, own your feelings even though you may feel vulnerable. People often respect your open vulnerability a lot more than your defensiveness or blaming tactics. Working on having these difficult conversations will improve your emotional intelligence and capacity. We’re just human. I would also add in here that listening to others is super important too and don’t own everything they may blame you for. And remember, we ALL have blind spots, we’re human. If someone tells you something about yourself that you are not aware of, just thank them for the insight and tell them you’ll give it some thought. It may be that they are projecting something onto you but it also may be a blind spot and they are being an angel for telling you. If I don’t know how other people perceive me then I can’t fix or change my behavior. But taking full responsibility for your reactions also means you are a role model for others in your life to take full responsibility for their reactions too. It empowers you and it empowers others.

• Figure out what you want in your career and create a plan of action to go for it. You are responsible for your career, not your boss. Don’t wait for someone to “discover” you or rescue you. Decide on your next career move or promotion and write down the first 6 steps to make it happen. You are in charge and can create your own destiny but you must know what that looks like and be able to visualize it. I was told by a manager I had in my early 30s that a good boss will help me move on to the next opportunity. They won’t hold me back but it was up to me to decide what a good opportunity was. But if you have a bad boss, well they’ll just keep using you to get the job done and won’t think twice about your career. The point is don’t wait for a “good manager”, take control of your career. And when I hear a client say “I don’t know where to start” I call Bullshit on that. Of course, you know where to start. You start researching! You begin networking, thinking and looking around you, and asking how others got to where they are. Anyone can think of 6 steps to begin their plan. Create a resume. Look at the job board. Read job descriptions. Talk to people who care about you and mentor you. Start reaching out to people who have a job that you want. So figure out what you want and create a plan of action to get it. If you need help then ask for it. (I can help!)

• Make a list of all the people you have resentments with and forgive them. This may seem counterintuitive but we really do have emotional blocks sometimes that can get in the way of you getting a promotion. What are you holding on to energetically? If, when you think about it, a person or past event makes you feel bad, then you’ve got to work on forgiving and letting go. Negativity and resentment will hold you back. Pay attention now, this is super important: If you don’t deal with those past resentments with people who hurt you, The Universe will continue to set you up with people that trigger the same feelings again within you until you don’t need that lesson anymore. Therefore, you might as well forgive what happened, recognize whatever gift that experience gave you, and move on. When it comes to bad bosses – let it go. You know that people are doing the best they can with what they got. They are probably not thinking about you and giving you a second thought. Let go of your resentments and bless them in your own way. Actually, write a list and then psychically release them. Imagine putting them onto a pink cloud and watching them float away. If you have anger then write a letter and burn it watching the smoke float away. Don’t waste one more minute thinking negatively about them. It’s poison and won’t help you one bit.

• Find a mentor or a coach who can help you work through some of these things and who can help you see your blind spots. When you only stay in your head and listen to your own perspective, you’ll never be able to release yourself from creating the same patterns. Someone you trust can help you work things out mentally and emotionally and can hold you accountable to reach your goals. And don’t keep those goals a secret from your boss! Let your manager know if you are looking for better assignments, new opportunities, and higher pay. Ask them for opportunities for growth. But if you don’t trust them, listen to your inner wisdom too. But above all else, find yourself a champion, someone you trust, and invest in yourself. One final commercial is for the Recovery@Work program. This is a 12-week program of absolute transformation. Everyone I’ve seen go through this program has advanced in their career, in their life, and in their happiness. If you do the work, you will transform. You can make lasting changes in who you are. It’s about the same price as a Masters Class at a University. But this class is all about you! You can check out more details at emergeleadershipacademy.com/recoverwork.

Here's what Noel O. shared after he received a 30% increase in salary and a promotion:

• I was looking for my next role when I started with Maureen. I had been in the same lower-level leadership position for 15 years but there was a part of me that wanted more. It was my habit to silence that part of me because I felt I would fail. Doing this Recovery@Work program with Maureen helped me to find my dream job, a promotion and to perform at higher levels than I had ever thought I could. I do this with a lot more consciousness for what I need versus what everyone else needs.

Have you hit a plateau in your career? I can help you get to the summit!

Your Leadership Trainer and Coach:  Maureen Ross Gemme, MS Ed.

P.S. Don’t delay! This is your life and your career. Pick at least one of these steps and begin. If you do them all then I guarantee you cannot fail!

About Maureen:

Before launching her successful business as a dynamic speaker, educator, and leadership coach, Maureen Ross Gemme, enjoyed a 27-year career at a Fortune 200 company. After experiencing a major life transformation in her 20s, Maureen learned early on what it takes to advance and grow in a highly matrixed business organization.

During her corporate years, she was recognized for her expertise in process management, leadership, training, and communications. Maureen has a breadth of experience including leading remote training teams, rolling out multi-million dollar technology systems training across the enterprise, improving processes and documentation in all 13 departments she worked in, and managing large-scale leadership events.

Maureen began her entrepreneurial journey in 2013 when she launched her venture to train and develop leaders who want to make an impact. Maureen is passionate about helping her clients overcome their fears, develop their confidence to present their ideas solidly and lead others so they can live up to their full potential and move their careers and business forward faster.