(Newswire.net — December 8, 2020) — Are you always struggling for a promotion? Never receiving the raise you’re wanting? If so, for most people, their first inclination is to blame their employer. After all, that’s who makes the decisions – right?
If you show up to the office on time, always meet your project deadlines and even refill the coffee pot when you’re done – what could you possibly be doing wrong? Whether you’re unwittingly making mistakes or not, check out this list of work-related issues that could potentially derail your career – and how to fix them.
Missed opportunities for feedback
Most workers undergo some form of annual employee evaluation, but you should be getting feedback more than once a year. These formal evaluations aren’t always valuable for the boss or the employee as typical management, even at many larger firms, just aren’t trained to deliver an evaluation effectively.
Without the right handling, these evaluations only serve to heighten your stress levels. The more stressed you are, the more your overall performance suffers. In order to become successful, it’s important to evaluate your efforts frequently, and to analyze what works and what doesn’t.
Seek straightforward feedback from your superiors and colleagues alike – frequent useful, constructive criticism can be the difference between losing your placement and promotion.
Mishandling setbacks at the office
If you’re heavily invested in your work, dealing with setbacks in the office – like having awesome ideas overlooked in a meeting or losing an important client – can be disheartening.
Over 26% of employees feel being undervalued is the highest barrier to engagement at the office. As an extremely motivated worker, it’s common to be very hard on yourself. Unfortunately, there is a limit to perfectionism. Disappointments at work can stop you from asking crucial questions or taking on responsibilities that could create more opportunities for you in the workplace.
It’s unrealistic to believe that you’ll never make mistakes in a long career; recovering quickly from these setbacks gives you an edge that distinguishes you from competitors.
Take a chance on self-promotion
Don’t be afraid to ‘toot your own horn’ from time to time when it comes to a job well done.
Just assuming your boss knows when you’ve done a great job doesn’t always cut it – avoiding self-promotion because you deem it “unprofessional” can actually impede your progress when climbing the proverbial ladder.
The next time you ask to take on a particularly demanding task at work, make sure your boss knows you’re up to the task with a gentle reminder of the past projects you’ve handled that went off without a hitch.
There’s no “I” in team
A prominent work-related issue is an individualistic mindset. When you focus only on your own personal success, you’re making decisions that only benefit you – and not the colleagues you should be looking out for.
Your bosses aren’t interested in your personal gain, but what’s best for the company. If your actions appear to benefit the whole of the company, you’ll be integral to achieving their goals. This means you won’t be overlooked for future advancement or bonuses.
Refusing new roles
Doing the bare minimum of what you were hired to do is a big no-no. Not challenging yourself in the workplace lends itself to stagnancy in your career.
In fact, LinkedIn states 96% of talent professionals say employee experience is becoming more important. Stepping outside of your comfort zone with new, educational job opportunities could be just the push your boss needs to give you the promotion you’ve been looking for.
Needing extra support to get your career back-on-track?
The employee assistance programme from Lifeworks is the solution for you. As the world’s largest employee assistance programme provider, Lifeworks supports your management of work, life and health challenges. With a combination of employee assistance, wellness, recognition and incentive programmes – you’ll be flying through the ranks at work in no time.