Promotion in the Workplace

We’re back speaking about one of our favourite topics this week, sport, with Newcastle United having secured promotion back to the Premier League. Manager Rafael Benitez took a broken and depleted team into the Championship at the end of last season, successfully transformed them into a table-topping side, and achieved the team’s ultimate goal of promotion.

Promotion was expected of Newcastle at the first time of asking. However, the view now taken by fans of the club is that the hard work actually starts here. It is the first step in moving up the ladder not only in the footballing world, but also from a career perspective, and it has turned my attention to the following question: How much hard work goes into gaining a promotion?

If you are a high flying achiever in the workplace with the ambition to grow and develop professionally, the most common scenario is that you will be looking for promotion within your career, whether that be internally or externally. The challenge that lies ahead when you are seeking that promotion, is the effort you ultimately put into achieving your goal.

Chasing a promotion is demanding both physically and mentally, and it can make it difficult to still be successful in your current job whilst keeping your options for promotion open. In fact, success can actually become the enemy of your career, the prospect of recognition and advancement will motivate you to work hard, but, it can also distort your vision.

So, you’re excelling above your peers at work, you have a talent and flair for your current role, and the perfect position becomes available. Following the interview process you land that promotion. So what are the next steps? Your workload will most definitely increase as you are handed more responsibility, but ultimately you will need to work harder to prove why you have been awarded that promotion.

The moral of the story is that achieving promotion is no easy task, even if you have the right credentials. There are times when you will suffer setbacks, and the response will not be as you expected. But, in the end, if you maintain an active search in the job market, continue to work hard and showcase your talent, then you will ultimately reach your goal.