3 Super Simple Ways to Get Ahead in Your Career
Master these three basic skills to give your career the boost you deserve.
You work harder than anyone on your team. You always hit your targets – and even exceed them.
So why on earth is it taking so long to get promoted?!
I remember that feeling. During the first decade of my career, I was convinced that the harder I worked, the faster my career would progress.
To a certain degree, it was true. But I soon figured out that being awesome at your job is just the first step. You need to couple that talent with some seriously basic skills if you want to impress.
If these skills are so basic, why dedicate an article to them?
Because people forget the basics all. the. time. Honestly, you would be shocked at the number of people who don’t do these little things that could set them apart.
1. Listen
And I mean really, truly listen. A whopping 96% of people think they’re good listeners, according to an Accenture study. But how many actually are?
I see people mess this up all the time – especially in a corporate setting. Too often, they come into a meeting with their own personal agenda. They prioritise getting through all their slides and talking points instead of listening to what other attendees think.
So for your next meeting, come prepared with five open-ended questions. No judgement, no secret agenda. The result? Amazing conversations, writes New York Times journalist Adam Bryant.
“If you go into the discussion with the main goal of understanding their perspective, free of any judgment, people will open up to you, because they will feel they can trust you to respect what they are saying,” Adam said, reflecting on 30 years of interviewing people.
In fact, Adam quoted one CEO who brings in improv comedy coaches to teach staff how to listen better.
“Improv, if properly taught, is really about listening to the other person, because there’s no script,” this CEO told Adam. “If you think about it, if you have an argument with your wife or husband, most of the time people are just waiting for the other person to finish so they can say what they’re waiting to say. So usually they’re these serial machine-gun monologues and very little listening.”
Listen without being defensive, and watch how quickly others’ opinions of you improve. As Adam put it: “Because listening is becoming an increasingly rare skill, you’ll be a standout if you make the effort.”
2. Come with solutions
You’ve heard the phrase “come with solutions, not problems.” It’s cliché, but absolutely key to earning trust at the highest level. Every senior exec on the planet has more questions than answers right now. So, if you present well-researched problems with several possible solutions, you’ll win their appreciation.
That’s because the C-suite is way too busy to do the research. Plus, they don’t have access to all the same resources you do. Start by tapping into the incredible network of people you have at your disposal as a procurement professional.
Other valuable sources of information include looking at what competitors are doing and accessing competitive data from trusted sources like Procurious.
When you’re in the boardroom, present possible solutions and back them up with the data. You will likely be asked to give your opinion, and if you have a preferred solution. So, speak your mind, but also be prepared to put your ego aside if the higher-ups choose a different direction.
For example, Joe goes way down the track with a specific supplier. He’s got all the locations on board with this specific supplier and pulled strings to negotiate an amazing deal. But then Joe’s CFO decides to go with a different supplier, leaving Joe crushed.
The lesson? Don’t let yourself get married to one supplier or solution. You need to be prepared to divorce at any moment without taking senior decisions personally.
After all, you’ll never know all the reasons behind management decisions; there could be all kinds of deals made behind closed doors. That’s why I love the mantra: “Care, but not too much.” Because eventually, it gets debilitating if you get too wound up in one supplier.
3. Proofread
This one is so basic but so crucial. Proofread everything you write! And if time allows, get a fresh pair of eyes to check your work.
I was looking over a stack of CVs/ resumes once when recruiting for a role. I wanted to hire someone with excellent attention to detail to be the key contact for external partners.
One candidate seemed promising. But under skills, they put: “I pay close attention to detials.”
Ooof. Don’t be that person. Double check everything from reports to emails. I can’t count how many times I’ve received emails that start: “I hope your well.”
And don’t rely on your own eyes. It’s too easy to gloss over your own typos, so use the text to speech or read aloud accessibility functions. Your mistakes will be way more obvious when the computer reads them out to you.
I know these all sound obvious. But I promise there are way fewer people who do them well than you’d think. So make an effort to improve all three areas, and you will stand out as someone who is trustworthy and essential to your company’s success.
And then when the next opportunity comes up, guess whose name will be top of the list?
If it’s time to give your career a boost, start with your Procurious profile. Is your page up to date, and looking shiny? Do you have a professional profile picture, with all your successes listed? If not, update it today!
