How Problem-solvers Get Promotions

It took me almost a lifetime to figure out why some of my coworkers quickly rose to the top and why I did not. After years of wondering why I was overlooked, I stopped whining and whimpering and began watching.

The secret, once I discovered it, put me on a Fast Track for promotions. Once I pushed my feelings out of the way, and put my eyes on the target, I noticed that employees who got ahead all had something in common.

They did not whimper about problems; they helped solve them. They did not whine about why they could not accomplish something that was needed; they focused on what the boss "really" needed. And they did not fear admitting mistakes; they used them as a stepping stone to correcting a problem.

Here are three examples, from my own career.

(1) Hired as a word processor, when I knew I was really an excellent writer and editor, I finally found a niche no one was filling, had everyone griping, but it still had to be done: verifying technical references. I had a knack for this and everyone else hated it. Quietly, they all brought this work to me to do for them. I told my superior that it was time for a promotion and that I could fill the need that no one else wanted to fill. To my surprise, she agreed, and I moved from word processor to editor, with the side duty of verifying references.

(2) Although I had nothing more than a high school diploma, many of my coworkers had degrees, but still did not know the practical aspects of the work. I had been using a checklist that I drew up for my own use. One day, I showed it to my supervisor; she agreed it was an excellent tool, and we passed it around to the rest of the team, asking for input to improve it. A star was born; very quickly, it became our standard, a way to ensure that nothing got out of our hands with major errors. A promotion followed.

(3) While using the computer, I made a serious error in input, one that the computer should not have allowed me to make had the program worked properly. Instead of my usual approach, whining that it "wasn't my fault," I detailed what I had done wrong, why the software should have had a built-in checkpoint to prevent that, and presented that to my supervisor. The "bug" was fixed, and I was praised, and added it to my list of accomplishments for my next company review.

Remember, you need your job but the company also benefits by your efforts; do not hesitate to let the right people know of your accomplishments. Although the "right people" are not always immediately evident, by keeping your mouth shut and your eyes open, you will soon pick them out.

Be a problem-solver and you will find many of your problems going away.