Queue Scene: A typical day in a typical IT office. Today is the Tuesday weekly staff meeting…
Boss Bob: Ok team, we have a lot going on today. HR has a major system upgrade to their personnel software, Finance needs the new Multi-Function Printers we received last week installed today, Facilities Management needs new drops run on three floors for the new smart thermostats, and the front office wants to have the immersion room project finished up by COB on Friday, in time for a big meeting on Monday.
Jim: We have everything ready for the HR upgrade ready, except for the newest patches. I haven’t heard anything from the vendor about it.
Boss Bob: Did you call them?
Jim: No. Should I have?
Boss Bob: Call them this morning. What about you Mark. Where do we stand with the MFPs?
Mark: Mike and I have them staged and ready to go. We will start this afternoon.
Boss Bob: You should also install the PKI readers on them. Didn’t they arrive last week?
Mark: Yes, but we thought that would be another project, after this one was done.
Boss Bob: You will save a lot more time doing it together. Make it happen.
Mark: Ok, you’re the boss.
Boss Bob: Dave, how are the drops for facilities coming along?
Dave: Yea, about that boss. I kind of ran into an issue with my kid’s school and had to take off yesterday afternoon. Today, I need to go to the DMV and get my new tags, so I think the drops will need to wait until tomorrow.
Boss Bob: The DMV is open on Saturday Dave.
Dave: I know, but it was so nice this weekend and I decided to go golfing instead.
Boss Bob: And you Sue, how is the Immersion Room going?
Sue: I finished that Friday night. I stayed an extra two hours to get it finished and tested. Don’t worry about the OT boss. I know I didn’t ask for it in advance, but I really wanted to get this done in plenty of time so that we can demo it to the front office and make sure they’re comfortable with it before going live with an important meeting. It is working great and I will be working with them this week to get them all up to speed on it.
Boss Bob: Great! Anything else Sue?
While I was up there, I ran the drop for the smart thermometer and the MFP. The less we bother them, the better. Oh, and I noticed that we’re about a week late on system security patches, so I tested the patches offline and then I pushed them out to all the workstations last night.
Boss Bob: Outstanding job Sue.
Three weeks later…
Boss Bob: The board has approved the first line supervisor position for this office. Let’s all give a hearty congratulations to Sue. I know she’ll do great in the job.
Stunned and somewhat perplexed looks from Jim, and Mark but even they must admit that Sue is the best one for the job. Dave is, once again, angry with everyone except himself that he has been passed over even though he has been there the longest.
End Scene.
We’ve likely all seen folks like this in IT offices that we have worked in. Over the years, I have identified four types of people on the spectrum when it comes to categorizing those who have the potential for advancement in the ranks in an organization:
- The narrow group of people at the top end of the spectrum who consistently go the extra mile to get the job done, anticipate needs and proactively move on them, and who never need to be supervised because they just get things done; (like Sue)
- The people in the wide-middle that do their jobs well, are willing to do the extra work when asked, but often doing their best to fly under the radar in fear that if someone does notice them that it won’t end well for them; (like Mark)
- The group nearer to the bottom end, consisting of people who do only what is expected of them and, though they may be good at their jobs, they do nothing more than what they must do, and then complain that they never get promoted; (like Jim) and
- The narrow group of people at the bottom end that expend as much effort into getting out of work as the top people do getting it done. These folks don’t usually last very long in an organization, but there are a tiny few that seem to slip through the cracks. (like Dave)
Who are the people in that first group? Do you see yourself there or in one of the other groups in the spectrum? What does it take to be a top performer that moves up the organizational chain? Let’s take a deeper look.
Top Performers go the Extra Mile
Top performers generally are no more or less technically proficient than anyone else they work with. Some are technical superstars, but most simply have the aspirations, the drive, motivation, and work ethic to advance. Top performers:
- Are not the people that do only what is expected of them and maybe tossing in an extra task or two when the boss is looking or asking;
- Are not the clock-watchers, the bare minimum
types, or the ones that spend more time complaining about how they never get
ahead instead of doing what is necessary to go that extra mile and actually get
ahead;
- Just being good at your job is not enough to get promoted. We should all be good at our jobs. It’s why we got hired in the first place.
- Are not afraid of change. They embrace it;
- Understand the importance of networking and how
it can help them to;
- Do their jobs better;
- Get information when they need it quickly; and
- Help them to navigate their way to the top.
- Top performers contribute to the greater
organization;
- Awards Boards, community activities committees (morale building), volunteer work.
- Think outside the box and separate themselves
from the rest of the herd.
- By taking on new, innovative, and difficult tasks that most shy away from for fear of failure or negative perception by their bosses.
- Take that step forward and volunteer when the call is made and not remaining silent while hiding in the back to avoid the extra work;
- Are those who actively work with their mentors and, as soon as they can, become mentors themselves;
- Think strategically. They don’t just think about what they or the
organization is doing now. They think
longer term and use that vision to achieve strategic outcomes; and
- Your job supports the overall goals of the organization itself. Don’t simply focus on your contribution; think about the organizational goals, your part in it, and how you can enhance the other parts of the organization to achieve all of its goals as you meet the overall organizational goals together.
- Listen to and are champions for their customers;
- When your customers trust you, your boss will know (directly and indirectly) and that earns a lot of points with the leaders above you.
Other Ways to Stand Out Are:
- Take on extra tasks when you can.
- When you finish a task early or when there is room on your plate for more;
- Try to get something that is out of your comfort zone to prove that you want to be of greater value to the organization; and
- Start asking for tasks that both let you learn and showcase your management skills.
- Try to be proactive by anticipating future
needs, and then offering solutions to address them.
- Take on the tasks if you can but don’t be afraid
(or territorial) to let others do them.
- It can even be an opportunity to lead them in the project or task that you can then showcase to your boss as proof of your potential.
- Take on the tasks if you can but don’t be afraid
(or territorial) to let others do them.
Most Importantly, Separate Yourself from the Rest of the Competition
Know your competition and what you can do to separate yourself from the herd. You could be working at a large organization like mine. In my organization, depending on the rank, we can compete with dozens or even hundreds of people for promotion; however, even small companies with 4 or 5 people can apply this guidance to advance their careers.
For example, if you work in for a company where there are 4 people up for a job, you have a 1 in 4 chance of getting that promotion and in an organization like mine even though I may be up against 100 people, when they promote 25, it is still that same 1 in 4 odds. It can be applied to any organization when you look at it that way.
Believe it or not, but you have a lot of influence in your own promotions than you think. It all starts with your work ethic and the willingness to put in the hard work and going the extra mile. No one gets promoted simply because they are good at what they do. As you can see, it takes a lot more effort, but not so much that it dominates your time. Just do more than what is expected and the promotions will come and a lot faster than your competition.