When I came up with the title for this week’s blog (after writing it, of course—that’s the advice I give in my classes), I thought to myself, “Who wouldn’t want to read about how to get ahead?”
“Getting ahead” simply sounds like a great idea, no matter who you are or what you’re doing! So, as you read this article, even though it’s written with your career in mind, feel free to think about a club or organization you belong to, a not-for-profit charity you volunteer for, or your 13-year-old’s middle school where you serve on the sports committee. The same tips apply for “getting ahead” in any arena. Let’s jump right in.
Learn about your workplace
The late Jack Bowsher, educational consultant and former chief learning officer for IBM, put it succinctly when he said, “This is the advice I give to anybody in any career. You have to become an expert. People have to look at you and say that you know more about this than anybody else.”
Bowsher would tell you: Do your homework. Are you the mail sorter for your organization? Don’t just sort the mail, look at it. See where it comes from and where it’s going. Learn about your organization and the work it does.
Imagine you are the accounts receivable manager for the Ace Peabo Corporation. Do you know what a peabo is? Who else makes them (i.e., who are your competitors)? Why are your company’s peabos superior to all others? It probably wouldn’t hurt to glance occasionally at an issue of the professional journal Peabos Today. And if you read an article anywhere about your organization’s business, be sure to call it to someone’s attention. (Hint: your boss is a good place to start—it doesn’t hurt to look like you’re interested in the company you work for.)
Furthermore, learn the language of your business, and do your best to understand how the department in which you work fits into the structure of the whole organization.
Find a mentor
Having a mentor is one of the fastest and surest ways to move forward professionally. If your company has a formalized mentoring program, find out how to get involved. Otherwise, you’ll need to identify those attributes you need most in a mentor and then assess those around you as potential candidates. Of course, just because you “choose” someone doesn’t mean that they automatically become your mentor—you must ask and be accepted as their mentee.
In their book Stop Whining and Start Winning, Molly Shepard and Jane K. Stimmler outline a plan for identifying and approaching potential mentors, including people both inside and outside your company. To start, the authors identify a good mentor as someone who:
- Gives career advice and honest feedback.
- Possesses corporate/business insights and is knowledgeable about market information.
- Has access to powerful people and can make introductions.
To ensure a smooth and lasting relationship with your mentor, Shepard and Stimmler advise:
- Plan to call or visit your mentor at least every six weeks to keep the relationship fresh, unless the mentor is so senior that fewer meetings are appropriate.
- Check in with them when one of their ideas or introductions has paid off, and share what happened.
- Don’t be concerned if your mentor doesn’t embody all the styles and behaviors you’re trying to improve. Take advantage of those that they do possess.
- If you see your mentor getting in trouble or sidelined in their career, be ready to rethink your strategy. Are you overly associated with them? Would it be wise to disengage?*
(*I’m going to go out on a limb here and declare that I don’t think Molly and Jane mean for you to drop your mentor like a proverbial hot potato when the first sign of a problem appears in their career. Remember, this might be a time when they could use your help and support.)
Give permission for your mentor to be candid in giving you feedback after a meeting, conference call or interaction, and do your best not to be defensive when you receive tough criticism.
And don’t forget: you, too, can be a mentor! Be on the lookout to recognize and acknowledge when you’re being chosen by someone who sees you as an up-and-comer, and then be sure to nurture the relationship. And guess what? Being a mentor is an equally good way to get ahead—you’ll be noticed for your willingness to assist others.
Learn to (politely) pick brains and ask questions
With or without a mentor, be ready to gain as much knowledge as you can through the contacts you make on behalf of your organization. For example, if your company publishes books and the printer’s representative frequently visits your office, take a moment to greet that person. Ask a couple of questions about the printing business, especially as it relates to your company. You never know where your “casual conversations” with others could lead… to a new position, an opportunity with a different company, or even a brand-new career! (It’s happened that way for many people.)
Read professional publications
Whether you subscribe or not, reading professional or trade publications is a great way to learn about your organization’s business. You don’t need to read every issue of every journal or magazine cover to cover; sometimes just glancing through and reading a couple articles is enough to keep you in step with what’s happening in your profession. Old-school as it may seem, it’s fun to read real words on real paper—have you tried it lately? If not, then head to the library, or to your company’s resource room and check out what’s available. Or, if e-zines are more your style, bookmark the best ones on your browser and visit them periodically. Or do what one of my friends has done at her accounting firm: start a professional reading exchange with your colleagues. Even a basket in the corner of a work area can become a place for everyone to bring their already-perused magazines and trade journals. And who says the occasional issue of Celebrity Stars’ Steamy Midnight Confessions can’t sneak in now and then?
The same is true of some of the best general business magazines. Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company, MarketWatch and Success magazines all offer insights into the business world that go beyond what’s happening in your own industry.
That’s it for today. Quick and easy, like the title says, right? And free. I hope you’ll consider trying one or two (or all four) of these suggestions, and please let me know how they work for you. I always appreciate your thoughts and feedback.
Guess what? In three weeks, which is the release date of my next blog, I’ll be on my very first vacation since pre-Covid times! My assistant Dianna is going to post an article from our archives, so tune in to find out which one she chooses. Take care, stay safe, and have a great rest of your summer!