Destination Success: Try to see company's perspective on promotion

It isn't all about you. It is all about your company.

A sales representative is not chosen for the district manager spot. A manager is not asked to move into the home office. An analyst is not made senior analyst. You still have your job, but something has changed. Your attitude takes a nose dive. You start skimming the Sunday ads. You blame others. You start your own little pity party.

When you are passed over for a coveted position, it is time to take a hard look at your part in the equation.

The first question to ask yourself might seem unusual at first: "Did I really want the promotion?" Of course I did, you might say. Doesn't everyone want a promotion?

Ask yourself if you really wanted the responsibilities that the new position entailed or if you were at a point in your career where you thought you should take it.

Here's the tough question: Did you really want the promotion or did you just want more money?

About four years ago, I was a corporate recruiter for a major entertainment company in Los Angeles. My boss took me aside and told me that he had me in mind for a managerial position.

On the train home, I felt sick. I was a mass of conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I was excited about the title, the prestige and, of course, the money. On the other, I knew I did not like management. I had taken many tests over the years and they had all shown that I worked better as an "individual contributor." By the time my train reached Simi Valley, I knew what I had to do.

I decided to resign. I knew that I could only go so far if I stayed as a senior recruiter. I did not want to be a manager. I decided to go with a recruitment company that would pay me more for the same job. My boss was flabbergasted. Over and over he kept saying, "But I offered you a management position." He had offered me the one thing I didn't want.

If you have decided that you do want a promotion, however, you must be willing to make some changes.

Beyond performing the day-to-day functions in a superior manner, you must be able to strategize and work smarter.

Much of the promotability game is based on your attitude. "There are three topics requested literally every single time companies first speak with us about booking a workshop. They are time management, organization and, believe it or not, gossip. Truly, it amazes us that the most promotable' people are those who have mastered these types of personal goals rather than career achievements," said Sandy Higgins of Joy Works, a speaking company devoted to helping individuals discover joy in their lives.

"You have to show enthusiasm for the job. You have to look at your job from the organization's perspective and at what they need," said Virginia Mee, director of the Management Development Institute for Southwest Missouri State University. Remember, it is about the company.

It takes a proactive approach to find out what a company really wants. Price Kellar recommends that you ask the people who control your promotion what they are looking for. Kellar is an attorney with the Law Offices of Gary Green and a success coach at www.your-life-coach.com.

He recommends asking open-ended questions such as: "What are you looking for? What would an ideal (job title) be like?" Open questions are designed to elicit a longer response and obtain more information. "The answers only matter if you listen," Kellar said. "Understand what their goals are and what their reality is."

Mee says that one also needs to assess, on a continuing basis, whether it is possible to be promoted.

Analyzing yourself and your situation, along with good habits, people skills, refined listening habits and strategic skills, make you more promotable.

(Sinara Stull O'Donnell is a writer and professional speaker in the career arena through her company Sinara Speaks.)