11 THINGS THAT WILL GET YOU PROMOTED

by Libby Kane
Have you ever been promoted? If so, congratulations.If not, there might be something you can do about that.
And we don’t mean “be more confident” or “be more passionate.” We mean specific actions you can take to impress your superiors—and take home a bigger paycheck.
Even if you’re not specifically looking for a flashier title or more money (although who isn’t?), these tips will help you become—or remain—a valued employee.
How did we find such useful tips? We asked the boss.
In fact, we interviewed nearly a dozen bosses, in fields ranging from marketing and tech to new media, executive recruiting, and financial planning. They spoke, on the condition of anonymity, to share exactly why they’d promoted a direct report in the past. From telling the boss when she’s wrong to schmoozing at happy hour, their answers just might surprise you.

1. Tell Me I’m Wrong

“I love when someone smart challenges my thinking,” says one boss.
That’s not to say you should be arguing with your supervisors on a regular basis, but if you have a well-thought-out point that disagrees with your boss’s plan, consider bringing it up directly. As this boss says, “I love it even more when a person has the data, facts, or examples to actually make his or her point.”

2. Bring the Bad News First

“Don’t tell me how fantastic you are. Tell me what is going wrong and, even more importantly, what you are going to do to fix it.”
Ultimately, a mistake or issue is your boss’s responsibility,
so make sure your supervisor is aware of any large-scale or constant problems. This doesn’t mean you should email every time the printer is a little wonky, but you should make sure your boss is apprised of any serious issues.
This serves two purposes: First, it lets your boss know you’re on top of the problem and working to fix it. Second, it gives your boss the time to work on her own solution, or at least prepare for a different course of action—and to present it to her boss.

3. Be Drama-Free

“I don’t care if you don’t like the person you sit next to or think the the Post-It notes should be yellow, not blue. Bring me drama and I am certain that you are not worthy of the next step.”
Especially in an office environment, we have to work closely with different personalities and in less-than-ideal situations. Unless there’s a real problem (read: you feel unsafe or can’t complete your work), keep complaints to yourself. As one boss says, “Your job is to make your boss’s life easier, not plop your drama on his or her lap. Save that for your friends and family or your diary.”
Another boss agrees: “If you gossip a lot, it’s a problem.”

4. Smile

“Your boss would like to harbor the fantasy that you actually like your job, since she is paying you, spending more time with you than her family, and helping you more than you realize,” one boss told us. “You can at least smile and seem like you are enjoying things in return.”
You don’t need to blind every passerby with your pearly whites, but remember that no matter how close your deadline or how heavy your workload, other people will take their cues from you. If you’re snapping at co-workers and frowning, they’ll snap and frown right back. Instead, take a breath, put on a smile, and show your boss you appreciate the opportunity.

5. Take Notes

“We hate having to tell you things over and over. No boss should ever have to go over directions more than once. If you don’t understand the direction when it is being given, clarify right then and there and take good notes instead of depending on your memory.”
We’ve all been there—nodding and smiling and filing away the tasks we’re given in a meeting, only to get back to our desks having lost those mental files. Impress your supervisor by keeping a paper and pen (or laptop, if that’s acceptable at your office) at hand, ready to record the things you need to remember.
Taking the time to write things down is especially helpful, as it gives you a minute to process your instructions and think of any questions you need to ask then and there.

6. Never Skip the Office Party

You know how they say that as many business deals are made on the golf course as in the office? That same principle applies to the office party. One boss points out that skipping the chance to socialize with your co-workers means you’re missing basic office news (think: who is preparing to leave) and alienating yourself from the people who sit next to you 8+ hours of your day.
When it comes time to pick a team member for an advantageous project or conference in Hawaii, who will be chosen? Not what’s-her-name, that girl who never comes to the party.

7. Don’t Expect to be Rewarded

“In order to get a promotion, you need to actually be worth it!” says one boss. “Don’t walk around with the air that you deserve it, because that sense of entitlement is going to get you nowhere.”
Confidence is one thing; arrogance is another. Yes, you were the top of your class in college and yes, you dominated your last project, but it’s a fine line between letting your work speak for you and duct-taping it to your boss’s computer. Worried your boss doesn’t notice your achievements? Set up a meeting to talk about what you’ve been working on, and ask for feedback.
But don’t get too worried your accomplishments are going unnoticed. As one boss says: “Let’s be honest—I promote people with good personalities. Your ability to be professional and also eager, motivated, and thoughtful about decisions and interactions with others is significant.”

8. Hold Up Your End

“It’s awful when you claim to be a team player, but complain when you are given responsibilities to help on a project.”
“Team player” is cliched for a reason—because every boss wants to see that quality in a potential employee. In recent years, “team” has come to replace every office unit from department to entire company, and every employee is expected to be a team player.
Complaining about your role on the team is both futile and aggravating to your boss. Where is she supposed to find you a sub? If you aren’t a team player, the real fix is to learn the rules of the game—and fast.

9. Ask How You Can Help

“You should be asking me if there is anything else you can be working on to help grow the company or the project, instead of waiting around for me to tell you what to do.”
There’s another word for that, one that appears next on the “cliched for a reason” list: initiative. Clearly, you shouldn’t be asking your boss to hold your hand during every step of a project, but a well-timed “What can I do to help?” or “I noticed that [task] needs doing—I’ll tackle that,” is much appreciated.

10. Have a Solution

Wrong: “You tell me you have a problem—well, actually, you whine about something which I understand means you have a problem—and you come in with zero solutions on how to fix it.”
Right: “You come up with new and successful ideas on your own and take initiative to do something we already do and do it better without being asked.”
One boss told us she’s happy to give advice to people who ask for it, but she’s “looking to promote people who can think their way out of something on their own.”
To please a boss like this, you can follow one rule of thumb: Never bring up a problem without a possible solution to recommend. Brainstorm feasible, reasonable solutions to the problem you have (get tips on being a better brainstormer here). When you present it to your boss, launch right into what you recommend as a solution.

11. Know Your Job—and Do It

“If I have asked you twice and you don’t pay any attention to what you need to do as a part of your job, I will not see you as valuable or smart,” says one boss.
Since you’re already taking notes (see tip #5), make sure you scribble somewhere exactly what your responsibilities are, and make sure you prioritize them. Along the same lines, it’s important to know which tasks are crucial, and which can take a backseat.
One boss had the following recommendation: “I think the best candidates for promotion are those who best can gently ‘manage up‘ within their ranks and can find the balance needed to do gold star work while still knowing when to draw the line and say, ‘I can do this for you, or I can do that for Mr. Smith, but I cannot get both done today. I feel like [this task] is the priority—would you agree?’”