If you are waiting for a promotion, here’s something you need to know:
When a business owner looks at someone to promote, they are not just asking “is person here long enough?” or “are they doing their job well?”
They are looking at three things:
1. Ability,
2. Aspiration and
3. Engagement.
Ability is whether you can actually do the next role, not the current one. The mistake many people make is thinking that doing their existing job well is enough to earn a step up.
If you are still doing your job exactly as it was written in your job description, you are showing your employer what you can do today, not what you are ready for tomorrow. To build ability for the next level, you have to start stretching beyond what is expected of you now.
Aspiration is whether you are aiming for something more. I have seen talented people who are technically capable but privately checked out from the vision. Or, i termed it as Motivation.
As a business owner, I cannot promote someone like that into a leadership role, because leadership requires you to bring others along, and you cannot bring others somewhere you do not believe in yourself.
Engagement is the piece that ties the other two together. It is the alignment of vision, mission, purpose and values to go beyond the job description without being asked.
Here is the hard truth.
People do not get promoted because they want it.
They get promoted because they are ready for it, and readiness is something you have to demonstrate before the conversation even happens.
If you want the next role, start performing like you are already in it. Show the ability, show the aspiration, show the engagement.
That is what makes the decision easy.
Cheers!
{We} Create Value!