So, I am two days into this and already I have to make a retraction. I said that fortune cookies were vague. Apparently not all of them are so vague.

You are Next in Line for Promotion in Your Firm

Now most of you would get this fortune and say, “BullS#it” or laugh it off. You might be thinking that your stuck in a rut and you aren’t going anywhere in your current job. There may be many other people who you think will be promoted before you. However, I take this sort of fortune to be more of a motivation factor than a fantasy.

How can you make this fortune a reality?

Here are nine action steps to get you started on the path to being promoted.

Have a plan

1. Assess exactly where you are and why you are where you are.

What are the strengths that you possess that you can use to leverage yourself to the next level. What are your weaknesses that are keeping you from that promotion. Assess both of those areas and enhance the strengths while correcting your weaknesses.

2. Where are you going? Determine how to get there.

Get focused and generate an action plan. Saying you want a promotion and getting a promotion are two different things. Write down what you want, what is the job? What are the expectations, duties and responsibilities of that job?

Have you written this down? Good. Now you must further develop your action plan. You have an objective so go and achieve it. You are going to have to build a network of people who can help you. Talk to people who are in the position that you want to be in. Learn from them ask questions and volunteer to help with tasks. Talk to your boss and tell them your goals, ask them what you need to do to get to the next level. That way you can be clear on the expectations.

Attitude is everything.

3. Take pride in your work, have passion for what you do and beleive in it.

If you come to work miserable every day you are not going to get promoted. People who get promoted are those who take pride in what they do, they are enthused about that job and they do their best job. You need to have belief in yourself and also the bigger picture of the your team, division and company. What are the goals of the company? Do you understand those goals? Can you talk about those goals with authority and genuine knowledge? Have a positive attitude about what you do and take pride in that work.

4. Take action to acquire skills and knowledge.

You can show belief, pride and passion but if you have no skills or knowledge to back that up then you are not going anywhere. Talk to everyone, learn everything you can learn. Observe those people in positions of power within your company. Observe how to they conduct themselves. How do they spend their time? Learn from them as much as you can and then learn as much about the job you already have as well as the job you want. Become a person that people come to as a resource. Learn and increase your knowledge. If you don’t know the answer to a question find it and follow up. That is how you can be a resource for your team, division and company.

5. Attack Challenges Head On

Your boss may assign you a project, a big project and then give you a very short time line to complete that project. Someone who is going to be promoted will take this project and run with it. Every challenge that comes up is an opportunity to show the people in charge that you have the desire to move up and the aptitude to handle responsibility. The work may be hard, however don’t go complaining about it. This is your chance to see what it is to lead and be seen as a leader.

Be like Nike, Just Do it!

6. I think it was The Rock who said, Know Your Role.

What is your part in the big picture. Do you enable others to shine? Do you add to the conversation? Do you take the lead? Know your part in the big picture and how your actions can help the team succeed. You cannot succeed without help and when your entire team succeeds then you will also succeed.

7. Don’t save your BEST for later. Do it Now.

Are you saving your best for when you get promoted? Stop that right now. You must be doing your best every single day in every thing you do. You may be tempted to sit back on your past successes or focus on project that are in the future. If you do this then you miss out on the here and now. Focus on the task in front of you and do your best to complete that task.

8. Volunteer and do more

You may have a ton of work to do but if you want to get ahead you will have to take on more. Initiative is a quality that makes you indispensable. Don’t wait for work to start coming to you, get out there and find a problem that needs solving and solve it. Problem solvers move up, gripers go nowhere.

9. Do the Work from the Level you want to Achieve.

If you volunteer for tasks that your supervisor does then they will see you are taking that initiative we talked about in #8. By doing the tasks from the position you want to achieve you learn more about that job and you also show your supervisor that you have the capability and aptitude for more challenges and responsibility.

You can make that Fortune a Reality

So, once you are really ready to go for that promotion: have a plan, take action, take initiative, focus your resources, take control of your attitude. However, don’t just be a taker. You also need to give feedback, give help, give your time and give your best. Do these things and maybe “You are Next in Line for Promotion in Your Firm.”

What are your tips for getting ahead at work? Please share them in the comments.