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Want a Promotion? Three Strategies for Success

How to survive and thrive in a competitive workforce.

Key points

  • Daring to be different enhances perceived competence and status.
  • Asking experts for advice can make you look smarter.
  • Tailor your image to reflect high personal and industry standards.

In a challenging economy and competitive labor market, promotability is a priority. Every industry values a winning combination of talent, temperament, and teamwork—often cultivated through hard work and smart strategy. Yet beyond the usual factors that render a large pool of competitors equally promotable, there are a few areas to consider where you can stand out from the crowd. Research explains.

Image by Martín Alfonso Sierra Ospino from Pixabay
Source: Image by Martín Alfonso Sierra Ospino from Pixabay

Dare to be Different

One way to positively stand out from the workplace crowd is not through your words but through your wardrobe. Silvia Bellezza et al. (2014) in a Journal of Consumer Research paper, the “Red Sneakers Effect,” investigated how people infer status and competence through nonconformity.[i] They examined the effect of nonconforming wardrobe choices such as wearing red sneakers to a formal event or gym clothes to a luxury boutique on perceptions of competence. They found that observers perceive nonconforming individuals as having a higher degree of both competence and status. Tempering this tip within the contours of your workplace, perhaps it means wearing a bright red scarf amidst a sea of black and navy blue, or an antique broach that is both bold and beautiful.

Seeking Advice

If you think asking questions on the job will make you look incompetent, think again. According to research, asking good questions can make you look more confident.

Alison Wood Brooks et al. (2015) investigated the impact of seeking advice on perceptions of competence.[ii] They note that although many people are reluctant to seek direction or advice for fear of looking incompetent, advice-seekers often appear more competent than people who try to figure out everything themselves. Brooks et al. note that people also tend to perceive advice-seekers as more competent when attempting a difficult task, when seeking advice from them personally, and when seeking advice from experts—as opposed to non-experts.

In addition, they note that a person is perceived as more competent when seeking advice in an area that an advisor knows well, as opposed to seeking advice from someone who lacks expertise. Asking for help from someone unable to give it causes the advice seeker to appear less competent than if he or she had not asked for assistance in the first place.

Lean into the Corporate Ladder

You will feel and appear more confident when you model your industry and employer's values. Whether you work in the C-Suite or on a construction site, in a boardroom or a classroom, you will feel and appear more competent when you understand and embrace company values and policy. Does your employer prefer rapid results or quality over quantity? Does your job require you to work long hours or be available off the clock? If you suspect there are unwritten expectations, ask experienced supervisors and seasoned veterans for advice per the previous tip. They will know the answer.

Packaging the Deal

With a polished, personable, professional image and work ethic to match, you present a package of promotable qualities and characteristics. You are committed to working hard and asking questions when you need information to allow you to perform more effectively. When your work is consistent with industry expectations and workplace culture, you will experience comfortable self-assurance that projects competence on and off the clock. And that is a confident look.

References

[i] Silvia Bellezza, Francesca Gino, Anat Keinan, “The Red Sneakers Effect: Inferring Status and Competence from Signals of Nonconformity,” Journal of Consumer Research, Volume 41, Issue 1, 1 June 2014, Pages 35–54, https://doi-org.libproxy.sdsu.edu/10.1086/674870.

[ii] Brooks, Alison Wood, Francesca Gino, and Maurice E. Schweitzer. 2015. “Smart People Ask for (My) Advice: Seeking Advice Boosts Perceptions of Competence.” Management Science 61 (6): 1421–35. doi:10.1287/mnsc.2014.2054.

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