Getting ahead on the job

CEBU, Philippines - It is the conventional belief that sheer talent and skills are the yardsticks of success on the job. These qualities are important, of course, but climbing up the corporate ladder has another key requirement - conducting oneself in ways that effectively communicate competence and readiness for advancement.

It is the conventional belief that sheer talent and skills are the yardsticks of success on the job. These qualities are important, of course, but climbing up the corporate ladder has another key requirement - conducting oneself in ways that effectively communicate competence and readiness for advancement.

Image is very important. It is also relatively easy to do. You only need to be observant of the ways of the highly successful people you admire - those at your current job level as well as the ones at the next higher levels from yours. There's a lot you can learn from them.

Pay attention to the way you dress. You should be wearing clothes that say you are something. The higher up you go in the company, the more likely it is that you will be expected to dress elegantly and stylishly. Employees that insist on t-shirts and jeans that suggest they can only be sent on petty errands are likely to be kept forever on that level.

Set your desk or workspace appropriately. Make it speak of the importance of the person working there - you. If you are not provided with top-quality equipment, check whether it might be because you seem not to need it. Do your job well with the tools you have, but also insist if you think you can do much more with better devices.

But you will have to deliver whatever you promise. Every request for equipment must be well justified. If all you do is type draft correspondence, then the old typewriter may be enough and there is no need for a computer with a sophisticated word processor. If you think a new model computer will be a nice boost to your professional image, then be willing to take on additional tasks to necessitate a unit on your desk.

Expensive office paraphernalia certainly project an image of power, but only if they are made to function accordingly. If the intention is simply for decoration, a flower vase or a picture frame is a better yet inexpensive option. A computer unit that always displays a screensaver might as well be switched off for good or, better yet, put back in its box!

Delegate some tasks if you're allowed to, especially routine tasks. It can be doubly beneficial for you. Delegating allows you to concentrate on the more important duties that management will see, as well as prepare someone else to assume your position in case you get promoted.

Prudence, of course, is necessary. Be careful about exactly imitating the ways of your superiors. The manager's desk is always tidy because he has an assistant that keeps files, sorts out and organizes things for him. If you are a rank-and-file and maintains a clear desk, management might think you are doing nothing.   

Likewise, acting like the boss can threaten the hierarchy. Your peers may think you are power-playing and the boss himself may think you're eyeing on his job. In which case, you will reap antagonism instead of support.

On the other hand, be careful of being too subservient to the boss in the hope of earning his favor. Overly pleasant, placating smiles, a worshipping tone of voice and a servant attitude may unduly flatter his ego that he may want to keep you where you are in order to remain at his beck and call.

Also, subservience can make you look like a doting fan and a weakling. The boss might not be able to imagine you being self-directed, taking responsibility, or managing others. As a result, it may be very difficult for you to move up the next level. So always keep your efforts in check.