“Dear The Man”: How Do I Get a Promotion?

From a reader:

Dear Mr. Man,

I’ve been at my job for a long time, and everyone loves me, but I keep getting passed up for promotion. What should I do?

Sincerely,
Sponge Bob

Well SB, that’s a tough position to be in. So before I answer, let me share my personal philosophy.

Yep. That’s it. Let’s face it, I’d rather hang out with my friends than most of the people at work. And I guarantee I can find better things to do than listening to a customer give me hell over a problem caused by someone else.

What’s the point? Well, your boss, and more importantly your bosses boss, looks at you in terms of your value as a resource to the organization. It doesn’t matter if everyone loves you, or is ambivalent towards you. What matters is, do you get the job done and do you inspire others to perform?

Your job is not the place to socialize or win a popularity contest. It is there to serve the purpose of meeting your financial obligations. The faster you move up the chain, the faster you’ll move towards financial independence and being able to walk away from work altogether.

So, focus intently on finding ways to make the organization richer (monetarily as well as in non-monetary ways) and clearly express interest in taking on greater responsiblity up your chain of command and you will be half way there!

PS – This is not a license to make people hate you. Being friendly and moving up the chain are not mutually exclusive.