The British cycling team has been an astounding success in recent years. Much has been made of their meticulous approach to preparing for the London Olympics. In particular, they embedded small behavioural habits incrementally into their routines so they became second nature. This is a lesson for professionals everywhere who want to take charge of their career and get promoted.
Here are 3 steps to propel your career and show your potential:
Identify the competences of one or even two roles above you and observe how they are demonstrated well by people you admire in those roles.
Practice the relevant attitudes, behaviours and skills a step at a time, in your own inimitable style, linked to your timescale for getting promoted. It’s not about copying other people – you will only be credible if you are genuine and true to yourself. Deliberately become more visible.
Build intime for personal reflection, getting feedback and reviewing with others – so you know if you are making progress.. Then fine tune your approach, reinforce what you have learned and take the next steps.
Adopting the following mindsets will help you be more employable at a higher level:
Be Open – I want to develop and get promoted
Be Curious – I want to discover what it takes to be in that role
Be Hopeful – I am optimistic and look for opportunities to support others
Be Aware – I don’t know who I can be until I know who I am and what I can do
Be Humble – I will get things wrong and I see that as an opportunity to learn
Be Resilient – I bounce back from setbacks and maintain my focus
Be Flexible – I contribute over and above what is expected of me on occasions
Be Courageous – I want to take risks and will work with uncertainty
Be Driven – I want to make things happen
These mindsets are your rocket fuel for taking genuine ownership and responsibility for action to achieve your goal of getting promoted. Grow your confidence through successes (and by promoting them), the right support, giving, and a sense of personal direction and control over your life.
What small, behavioural habits can you improve by 1% by building them into your daily routine and begin to be noticed?
