Getting Ahead… Fast

Are you satisfied with how fast you are getting ahead, and the direction in which your career is heading? Or does it seem as if, no matter how hard you are working, your career is moving in slow motion while that of your contemporaries is growing by leaps and bounds?

Loyalty, hard work and perseverance are fine, but in today’s competitive working environment, where it’s easy to get the prerequisite paper qualifications and technical knowledge, and everybody’s working hard and smart, you need that something extra.

So how can you develop the pizzazz that can help your career take off?

Success. First decide what success means to you. You have to be absolutely clear about what you want from life – not just what “should” suffice, or what your parents, spouse, friends feel is “right” for you. Some people are too busy chasing success to pause and figure out what it really means to them. As Jane Wagner once said, “All my life I’ve wanted to be somebody. But now I see I should have been more specific.” Clarity is power. Only when you really know what it is you want, can you harness all your power and energy to move towards it.

Enthusiasm. Very often it’s not just how much you know but rather how eager you are to learn and how passionate you feel that matters. Enthusiasm and the hard work it inspires count far more than ability. A person who “knows her stuff” gets things done eventually but an enthusiastic person gets things done now. That is what really impresses people.

Reliability. This is one of the most important ingredients to anyone moving up the ladder. Enthusiasm without reliability is just a lot of hot air. You need someone who not only gets excited about a job, but who also follows through to the end. You know you can count on her.

Awareness. Be alert. In order to be successful, you need to be constantly aware of what’s going on around you. Find out what’s happening in the world, nationally, in your community, and in your industry, and how such events may affect your organization. Read more, and hang out with the right company. As Charlie Tremendous Jones once said, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

Open Mindedness. Don’t react negatively to differing viewpoints. Try to see the other person’s side and avoid value judgements. Consider why she feels or thinks that way. Try to be impersonal in dealing with divergent opinions. Even if you disagree with an idea, make it clear it’s the idea rather than the person you’re against. Finally, be able to laugh at yourself. Take your work seriously but not yourself.

Mentor/Coach. In the beginning of your career, you would need someone older and wiser – typically a superior within your company or someone in the same industry or field, to help you figure out the basics: what to do, how to do it, what to say and when. As you move up, you need to develop not one but a network of people who have gone through similar experiences and can act as sounding boards for your ideas, decisions, strategies. Better still, get yourself a life coach, or executive coach. It may be the best investment you have ever made on yourself!

Caring about others. It’s not just what others can do for us, but also how sincerely we care for them. As the well-used saying goes, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Whether it’s your subordinates, peers, suppliers or even your boss, let them know you appreciate their viewpoint and understand the constraints under which they are working. Take time to listen to them. If something goes wrong, be ready to accept responsibility for your part.

Yes, you can get ahead fast, if you really put your mind and efforts into it. Just remember, if you really want to reach for the brass ring, there are sacrifices that go along. That’s why it’s so important to define success for yourself. And finally, more than enough books and articles have been written on success; ultimately the only way for you to succeed is to make a change. NOW.

If you are ready to take action now, drop me a note at coltacademysg@gmail.com and share your story with me so we can inspire more people!