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Raise
your rank: top tips for career success
Is promotion eluding you? Your career advancement
may not be entirely under your control, but acquiring
certain skills and characteristics can alter your
professional fate.
A broad network, well-read repertoire and an inquisitive
nature can help you rise above a crowded field.
For more on those tips and more advice, read on
for best bets from the experts
on professional posturing. Expand your clique. Maintain
a broad social network, says Advisory Board Co.
CEO Frank J. Williams, by surrounding yourself with
intelligent people with integrity who will challenge
you to be your best. "Social capital"
is built by establishing contacts: According to
research by Stanford University professor and sociologist
Mark Granovetter, most jobs are obtained through
so called "weak ties" -- that is, people
outside your primary social group. To maintain and
build a network, keep in touch, sending interesting
newspaper articles to acquaintances.
Take on more . Rising through the ranks demands
that one anticipate and adapt to change. Fluctuations
and insecurity allow opportunities to emerge, according
to Gail Blanke, CEO of New York executive-coaching
company Lifedesigns. Real and aspiring leaders need
to be impassioned and bring energy and optimism
wherever they go, so get involved, listen to others
and view change opportunistically. Someone is going
to take advantage of shifts; Let it be you, instructs
Blanke.
Improve interactions. Studies indicate that people
associate competence with vocal and facial pleasantness,
signaling that perceptions of proficiency are linked
with how we interact with others. Maintain eye contact
and keep your facial expression neutral, neither
expressing strong emotion nor appearing stony, advises
author Margaret Shepherd in her book "The Art
of Civilized Conversation." Animation and variety
-- varying the rate, pitch and volume -- in your
speech will also impress listeners, says Georgetown
University lecturer and public speaking consultant
Sue Roeglin.
Be inquisitive. "You can make more friends
in two months by becoming interested in other people
than you can in two years by trying to get other
people interested in you," public speaking
expert Dale Carnegie was said to have quipped. Engage
others with questions. Open-ended inquiries start
conversations and provide opportunities to expand
your network and learn; small talk can lead to more
serious discussions. Margaret Shepherd suggests
replacing dead-end questions like "Working
hard, or hardly working?" with inquiries about
vacation plans and work projects. The ubiquitous
Washington question
"What do you do?" might be replaced
with "What do you enjoy doing?"
Speak up. Most people are anxious when speaking in front of
audiences -- about one-third of us are excessively nervous,
according to a University of Manitoba study. Public speaking,
however, remains pivotal to career success. Some advice Georgetown's
Roeglin imparts to her students: The first 60 seconds are the
most important, so grab your audience with a dramatic or compelling
point; eschew caffeine; avoid iced water, because the cold constricts
your larynx and gives your voice a "choking chicken"
sound; write an outline, but do not memorize; record yourself
to identify and eliminate vocal fillers such as "like"
and and "at any rate"; and always end with a closing
remark that signals the conclusion of your speech.
Book it. Reading the news provides one with useful, industry-specific
information, but being more broadly literate is valuable too.
Steve Leveen, author and CEO of home office supply Levenger
Co., recommends building a list of must-read books. Asking colleagues
about their favorite books helps you establish a rapport with
superiors and tap their knowledge, while cultivating your extra-professional
interests through reading allows you to connect other interests
to your professional life. To increase your reading quotient,
adopt the 50-page rule, suggests Leveen: if the book does not
have you by then, set it down. Also try books on tape or reading
clubs.
Make your name known. A name can stand on its own -- if it is
"Donald Trump." But until you have a trademark after
your surname, introduce yourself by your full name and tell
people about yourself. To gain name recognition, you may opt
to carry a tasteful "social business card," a modern-day
equivalent to the social calling card. It used to be considered
gauche to give out your business card at social events; in the
age of ceaseless networking, however, a card that stylishly
reflects you and not your firm is desirable, according to Paul
Rubenstein, owner of The Written Word stationary shop in Washington.
Accept praise. The approaches different organizations take to
single out employees for praise depends on their culture and
work environment. In some cases, rewards may be monetary; good
performance may also contribute to a promotion. When the stakes
are high, taking or giving credit creates a delicate situation
that should be navigated carefully. Claiming another's work
can lead to lack of trust and high turnover, says Roger D. Sommer,
vice president of client relations at human resources consulting
firm OI Partners Inc./Maguire Group. Recognizing others is particularly
important in peer groups; exchanging credit smoothes personal
relationships, notes Sommer. Acknowledge assistance while gracefully
accepting praise for your work.
