How to Advance In Your Career Without Becoming A Workaholic
You don't need to be
married to your job in order to get ahead.
[Advancing in your career
means putting in more hours, taking on more assignments, and becoming
"married to your job," right? No, say career coaches. Overachievers
who live at the office tend to burn out fast and often neglect doing the very
things they need to do in order to advance. In doing too much, they do too
little. Being 100% committed to your work doesn’t guarantee you a promotion. So
how can you get ahead without making work your life?
Simply putting in hours at the office won’t get you noticed.
"If you’re engaged in the work that you do and the company for which you
work, it will show in your output, your attitude, your relationships, and your
potential," says career coach Susan Cucuzza.
Showing that you care
about what the company is doing and where it’s going, and having a genuine
desire to help the company get there, is what will stand out to decision
makers, much more so than the number of hours you sit at your desk.
"The days where it
was expected that you clocked in at 6:30 a.m. and turned the lights off at
night or you’d be frowned upon will soon be gone," says Cucuzza.
Demonstrating that you have the ability to deliver high-quality work in a
normal workday is now valued more than the number of hours you work.
"That means being
efficient and planning your time well," says Cucuzza. "It also means
being a great delegator and distributor of work that can be shared so that you
are not taking on all of the work unnecessarily."
No, your career advancement is not only about you. Lori Sherwin,
certified professional coach and founder of New York City-based firm Strategize That, says relationships are the single most important factor for
success as you advance in your career. "Growing in your career takes more
than aptitude; attitude and relationships matter," she says.
Get to know your
colleagues at all levels of the company, not just the senior managers you want
to impress. Invite people in the office to coffee or lunch, or simply use dead
time before a meeting to have a conversation with someone rather than simply
checking your phone. Those relationships you build with people will help you
when it comes time to be considered for a promotion. Decision makers are likely
to ask your peers as well as supervisors and people who work for you what they
think of you. "You never know how those relationships are going to impact
your ability to someday get promoted," says Cucuzza.
Expressing interest in
taking on new challenges and broadening your skill set is a great way to get
noticed by those in positions of power who can determine the course of your
career. Showing that you’re willing to be stretched and grow and expressing interest
in helping the company is also how senior leaders will get to know you.
"Expanding your
horizons will help position you for career growth into a different part of the
business, or upward where you will be given greater responsibility," says
Cucuzza. Of course, getting involved in new projects may require a
redistribution of your current workload. Ask yourself what you’re working on
that isn’t adding any value to make time for things that could play a role in
your career advancement.
Getting involved in
projects doesn’t mean you have to say yes to everything. "Successful
professionals often fear saying no or not being seen as a team player,"
says Sherwin. But the key to getting ahead is actually setting boundaries and
being strategic about the things you say yes to. Saying yes to a project that
may give you a leadership role, for example, may help you to hone your
leadership skills that you don’t get a chance to use in your current role.
When saying yes to a
project, consider how the project will help you to become more visible to
decision makers, and choose projects that will build your skills and experience
that will benefit your career and the company. If it’s just someone dumping
work on you and you’re saying yes to that, that’s not going to help you
advance. Being strategic about what you say yes to means you’ll be more focused
and will likely do a better job. Turning down a task can be uncomfortable,
which is why Sherwin recommends taking the "yes, but" approach.
Instead of saying an outright no, try saying something like: "I’d love to
help, but I think someone else would be a better fit for this."
LISA EVANS
http://www.fastcompany.com/3057356/lessons-learned/how-to-advance-in-your-career-without-becoming-a-workaholic?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fast-company-daily-newsletter&position=9&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=03042016
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