Hello. I am Stacy Mayer. Welcome!!! I am so excited to be here with you today. If you are meeting me for the first time, I am super glad you are here. And if you are one of corporate badasses welcome to my new podcast. This is super exciting and I have so much to share. So let’s dive in.
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This podcast is all about maximizing your career. I am going to be talking to you about career goals. I am going to talk to you about why you are not achieving those goals. What you will need to do different if you actually want to hit your goals. Maybe you need to set better goals? Maybe you need to communicate those goals? So many things…
But let’s just start with one. The realization that a promotion is not a reward for your hardwork. So you have to actually go get it. A promotion isn’t handed to you. You have to make it happen.
You know this stuff, right? So why aren’t you doing it?
One reason.
It’s because part of you still believes that if you work hard you will be rewarded. Or that you have to change your communication style. Or you just need a better boss. Or you need to switch companies.
But what if it wasn’t any of those things ---- what if you simply needed to act as if a promotion wasn’t a guaranteed result of your hardwork?
You are good at what you do! That’s what got you here. I have no doubt that you know how to do your job. But you can’t just keep doing your JOB and expect recognition to follow.
Let’s go back in time for a minute. Remember when you graduated college? You met with career counselors, consulted with professionals, attended job fairs, took personality tests --- all the things to guarantee your success after graduation. That is a lot of things.
And then somehow you got lost along the way. You started working. Maybe you started a family. And somehow lost yourself. Things started happening to you. You get reactive. Promotions came easily. You take opportunities as they come. And you lose site of the #1 most important thing YOURSELF. What you want. What matters. How YOU can make the biggest impact.
You try and make yourself feel better.
You turn that into excuses --- title doesn’t matter. Money doesn’t matter, especially if you are making enough to feed your family. You say things like “But they give me so much freedom.” I am able to leave every day at 5pm. I have a short commute. I wouldn’t want to lose that. Or I have been there 15 years. I just need to wait until my stock vests. Or I’ll be eligible for a bonus soon.
And while these are all really good things. And they DO MATTER they can’t be the only reason you are making the decisions you are making about your career.
At this point, you are probably saying But Stacy I DO TAKE my career goals seriously. I want a promotion. Of course I do. What more can I do? SOOOOO MUCH MORE. Trust me.
Let’s look at your buddy at work. He sits right next to you. You are both senior managers. You both got your mba. You have both been at the company for 10 years. But 2 weeks ago he was promoted and what did you get? You got his direct reports and no additional compensation. No promotion. Just more work to do.
It sucks. You feel frustrated. You try to come up with answers. Why is he getting promoted and I am not? It’s got to be because of his winning personality. It’s got to be because has more friends at the top. Or he knows how to play politics better than you.
NOOOOO It’s because while you had your head down, trying to get work done, he was acting as if promotion was not a guaranteed results for his hardwork.
Whether you think you do or not, if you are good at your job but still getting left behind, I guarantee you are making choices on the “work hard and get rewarded” mentality all day everyday ---
What does work hard and get rewarded look like?
- Only having professional development conversations at review time.
My boss doesn’t want to hear about ME during our 1on1s, he just wants to know what my team is doing.
Work hard and get rewarded
- Answering emails at 2 in the morning
I have to respond to every crisis email, otherwise my boss won’t think I am doing my job.
Work hard and get rewarded
- Not speaking up at meetings
I have 20 million other things I could be doing instead of sitting in this stupid meeting
Work hard and get rewarded
- Only taking on responsibilities associated directly with your role
I am already working 60 hours per week, I couldn’t possibly take on another project
Work hard and get rewarded
- Not sharing your accomplishments
My boss already knows what me and my team are working on.
Work hard and get rewarded
This is a REAL problem. And not just because it won’t get you a promotion, which it actually almost guarantees you WON”T get a promotion. But it’s a problem because you are not actually doing your job!
If you are in any type of management role, senior manager, director but especially if you are at the Vice President level or above --- it is your job to think strategically. It is your job to pull yourself out of the work and look at the big picture. It is your job to lead by an example and not by doing it all for them.
So why don’t we get real here for a moment and ask yourself, am I actually doing my job as a leader or am I simply managing other people’s problems?
You will know the answer to this question because your results will prove it. Are you actually getting the recognition that you think you deserve? If the answer is no then something is not working.
Don’t worry. I got your back. The time is now to figure out what is something that WILL work.
Let’s start with this. Think about it. Why is important to set professional goals and actually achieve them? I have a few ideas.
Because with clarity comes purpose. You will always know how to prioritize. You’ll know what to say no to and more importantly what to say yes to. You’ll start to enjoy your work more. You’ll remember why you wanted to be a manager in the first place. And opportunities will start coming your way.
Instead of wondering why your buddy is getting promoted and you aren’t --- you’ll be the one attracting opportunities. You will feel confident. You ideas will actually matter. And you will be excited about your job again.
I can help you get there.
To start with, I have created a free promotion roadmap for you. This pdf maps out the exact process that it takes to get you to that next level. Download it at stacymayer.com/roadmap.
You are amazing. You are great at what you do. But you can do better. Your company needs the one thing that only you have to offer. So let’s do this.
See you next week!
