How to Get That Promotion You Want

How to Get That Promotion You Want Article by Tania FieroAfter a year working as a human resurces manager, I thought I welches ready for a director-level vorrcken. Or, more accurately, I was worried that continuing to perform tactical HR responsibilities that could be easily outsourced wasnt a sound long-term career plan. So, my goal was to do more strategy work in the field of HR.The only problem? I had literally no idea what that meant. I enrolled in a 12-month program alongside other HR professionals with the goal of figuring out how we could bring more strategic thinking to our jobs.After I finished the class, I platzdeckchen out to prove how strategic I was, but it was an epic failure. I tried helping the sales team out by offering our clients lower-cost benefit options, which sounds like a good plan, right? Except I didnt think the execution through, and the change in our benefit plans led to some upset employees, including (unfortunately) our c ompanys president.Soon, I saw another opportunity to prove my strategic savvy. Our teams turnover had ticked up, so I suggested that we assess our culture and create an employee value proposition. This time, I got it right. Our business has been named one of its citys best places to work for 10 years running.Unfortunately, I mucksmuschenstill didnt get the HR director role, nor did I get that year-one promotion I was looking for. It wasnt until a few years later that I realized what was really holding me back I never asked for what I wanted. Because I didnt ask for what I wanted, when I was finally promoted to vice president a higher role than the one I originally had in mind I had to go through a tough adjustment period.Attaining a new role is all about asking questions. Before you pop the big one, you need to ask yourself and your boss a series of smaller ones. I didnt know how to ask those questions when I was looking for a promotion. Now, I help my employees ask them whenever theyre ready for new responsibilities. Here are a few to get you startedWhy Do I Want This Job?I shouldve had better communication with my boss, but my biggest mistake was not asking myself why I truly wanted the role. At the time, all I saw was the shiny title and the safety of a director-level role. Not exactly the right motivation.Challenge yourself to list three reasons the responsibilities of the new role are better than your responsibilities now. If you cant answer this, you have homework to do. How are you going to convince your boss youre ready for a promotion if you dont know why you want it yourself?Because I never asked myself why I wanted that job, I didnt know what I should doin order to excel in the role, and it was a tough adjustment when I finally got promoted to vice president. Now, when employees ask me how they can get a promotion, I tell them to start with this question.Why Am I NotReady for This Role?Identify three skills or competencies youd have to develop in order to be successful in the job you want. For each, find a way to escape your comfort zone. Beyond growing your skills, youll show that you can handle the discomfort of a new role with grace and confidence.For example, when I was hoping for the HR director role, I wasnt a confident public speaker. I knew I would need to build this skill before I could speak successfully in front of employees, clients, and the community. At the time, I was a member of a local professional association, and I was approached by the board of directors to consider becoming president. I accepted the offer, knowing Id be speaking in front of hundreds of members on a monthly basis. It was nerve-racking, but it was also the training I needed.Working in HR, I have met plenty of people who expect their companies to train them. Even if youre not ready for a promotion, creating your own growth opportunities helps you stand out and show your boss youre ready to talk about advancing.What Skills Would Cause Me to Be Overlooked for a Promotion?Now you just need to determine your training plan. Ask your boss for help if needed, or talk to other leaders about how they built their own new skills and added value to the company.After doing this, I ended up borrowing one idea about partnering HR with marketing to create an employee engagement campaign that included a company culture video that is still used as part of our sales strategy. I identified something I needed to learn, and I went out and learned it.When you ask this question, be prepared to hear anything and, above all, prove that youre willing to do the work. Point out the homework youve already done to shore up the shortcomings you identified earlier. At this point, your boss should be engaged in the conversation, sharing suggestions oftheirown and willing tohelp you create a growth plan.What Does Success in This Role Look Like Within the First Year?When that promotion opportunity does come up hopefully once youve made some progress on your growth plan its time to ask your boss this question. Listen for not only the roles responsibilities, but also the level of commitment necessary to be successful.Take some time to think about whether you can accommodate the positions requirements and whether the position fits your idea of work/life balance. If youre having this discussion, your boss probably sees that youre serious about developing the skills. Next, you need to decide what youre willing to sacrifice. For example, you might learn that the role would require you to work weekends. If youre a parent, would you be willing to give up that time with your children?My first year as vice president would have been much easier if Id asked this question up front. Now that I have a little more authority, Ivebrought this ideato our performance management programs so that each newly hired or newly promoted employee has a way to find out exactly what is expected of them.Remember, your boss wants you in the right role as much as you do. Dont despair if you dont get the promotion. The perfect fit can take time, and your boss knows that. As long as they know what you want and how hard youre willing to work for it, theyll help you find it.A version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.com.Tania Fiero is vice president of human resources at Innovative Employee Solutions, a nationwide employer of record founded in 1974 in San Diego that specializes in payrolling and contractor management services for todays contingent workforce.