Tips for moving UP

Progression does not come by wishing, hoping or even just working hard. It takes knowing where you want to advance and taking steps to earn your way there. Here are some suggestions on how to act your way up.

UPWORTHY: This is about how you view yourself and believing you deserve where you have set your sights to get to. I am not talking about arrogance. Appreciate yourself; learn to speak up for yourself and celebrate your successes. Don’t be uncomfortable around power or authority. If you have either use it to build; if you’re near it, learn how it’s wielded wisely.

UPSKILL: You can never have too many skills and it’s not wise to be satisfied with the skills you need for your current level. Have better skills than your job requires because it prepares you to go for opportunities as they come up. Should those opportunities not come quickly, you can still use your skills to make yourself more valuable to your organisation. Upskill through formal courses, mentoring from a senior person, on the job training or trying your hands at tasks you have not done before.

UPGRADE: You can have the right skills but still not conduct yourself well at certain level. In addition to skills, develop the professional confidence and manners that enables you think, act and interact at the level. Upgrading includes looking the part, sounding the part and being the part. It’s transitioning from skills expert to executive or leader. It’s developing the capacity to read situations accurately, making good judgements, setting yourself highly standards and living up to them.

MANAGE UP: Inability to manage your boss and your superiors is one of the most challenging career traps. Whether your boss is super, difficult or disengaged find a way to cultivate a productive relationship. Earn their trust by doing your job well and by supporting them in whatever way you can to be successful. Give them constructive feedback that will help them be a better boss. Don’t go giving to your boss’ boss feedback that you have not or are not prepared to give to your boss directly especially if your aim is to have things improve. Managing up is not easy so get a mentor who will guide you


Now take action: Where do you need to move UP?