Performance is Not Enough
After completing my PhD, I was confident in my abilities to learn new skills, get things done, and persevere. I thought that doing a good job was my primary role. I worked hard, identified issues, made suggestions, and worked to fix them. I was a stickler for details and loved to fix processes. In my mind, I was an amazing employee - and in many situations, my skillset fit the needs of the startups I worked for.
As I progressed, I found that my relentless work ethic wasn’t leading to the promotions I wanted. I also learned that others were compensated more than me.
A few techniques I that help people gain power are:
See the big picture - understand how your business makes money and how your role supports your business
Ask for what you want - people can’t help you if they don’t know what you need or where you want to go
Act and speak with power - be confident and use positive self-descriptions
Build a network - build relationships within your team and across functions. Meet people who have had similar experiences or are in similar roles. Everyone has something
Believe in yourself -
Flatter higher-ups - people like to feel intelligent and useful. Be genuine in your praise.
Know when to be controlling and when to be deferential.
Don’t be too perfect - people often more judgemental about those they see as too perfect
Which of these techniques do you already use?
