Whatever the reasoning, promotions are never promised. Getting promoted often involves time, effort, energy, and patience. But if you’ve been doing all of the aforementioned and have yet to receive the advancement you’ve been hoping for, it may be time to assess the situation.

Here are five things potentially stifling your chances of ever getting a promotion:

1. You fail to realize the importance of your interactions. Many individuals underestimate the importance of their on-the-job interactions. While it isn’t necessary to be your company’s social butterfly, the way you interact with your co-workers, managers, and customers is likely to play a large role in your potential promotion.

Make a point to build and maintain professional relationships with your co-workers and managers. This means never missing a company party or networking event. Developing an inter-company network will increase the number of people willing to share positive information about your day-to-day contributions. This interactive and engaging approach is similar to building a network necessary for a successful job search.

2. You’re not reaching your full potential. Patience may be a virtue when it comes to getting promoted, but it isn’t the only ingredient in the recipe for advancement. Overall excellence is absolutely required when it comes to taking the next step in your career.

Bosses can sense when their employees aren’t going above and beyond in their current positions, which certainly won’t motivate them to give out any promotions. Set yourself up for advancement by giving yourself a highly critical performance review, and assess the consistency of your efforts, punctuality, teamwork, and essentially everything you’ve been bringing to your position and company. If it’s anything short of outstanding, it’s time to work at perfecting your current position before you can expect a promotion.

3. You neglect to take initiative. Many workplace situations require a level of initiative to succeed. Stand out in your current position by showcasing your knack for taking initiative and becoming an expert problem solver. Oftentimes advancement comes with acquiring a position with more responsibility – it’s time you express your exemplary ability to follow through.

There are many ways you can take more initiative in the workplace. Consider attempting to increase the efficiency of your current position, offer a hand or idea when it comes to solving simple company-wide problems, or even increase your level of responsibility by volunteering to help out in another department.

4. You fail to produce results. When was the last time you quantified all you’ve accomplished in your current position? Showcasing your produced results is a great way to prompt a promotion or at least spark an important conversation. Producing results means doing more than the bare minimum. Be sure to keep concise records of your achievements in your current position.

5. Your self-presentation could use an upgrade. From your attitude to the way you handle stress, your overall presentation may be what’s ruining your chances of getting promoted. Simply putting in the necessary work to land a promotion doesn’t mean you’ve portrayed the demeanor or attitude to set you up for success. Take steps toward to energizing your attitude and overall approach to your current position, as well as placing a higher focus on an increased level of professionalism.

Getting promoted isn’t an easy task, and it certainly isn’t a given. Be sure to evaluate your attitude and work habits to ensure you’re truly taking the right approach.

5 Ways You’re Killing Your Chance At A Promotion is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. When A Promotion Is A Bad Idea
2. How To Get A Promotion
3. Promotion Season Is Coming: Tips On How To Get Promoted

Possible Reasons For Employment Churn

Many employees see their own employment situation stabilizing. For example, employees see their company outlook staying the same in the months to come – 48% of employees expect their company’s outlook to stay the same in the next six months, a number that climbed eight points from last quarter. In addition, employees who saw positive changes at their companies are seeing perks being restored as 65% reported they were awarded with new perks such as the option to work remotely, casual dress, flexible work hours, and/or new stock. Not to mention that at the same time hopes of a pay increase in the next 12 months are not improving – 40% of employees expect to receive a pay raise or cost-of-living increase in the next 12 months.

So while job seekers still may not be overly confident about the job market, they are looking at 2013 as a time for a change in jobs to see if the situation at another company may be more beneficial for their career and for their wallet.

Top Factors Influencing Job Candidates’ Career Decisions

While retention is a top concern it can also mean an opportunity to recruit top talent looking for a change. In the Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey, which takes into account feedback from more than 2,000 US adults, employees rated the factors that are most likely to influence whether or not they would accept a job offer. Salary (73%), location/commute (55%) and career growth opportunities (30%) stood out as the three most important factors, followed by amount of work (22%) and company reputation (17%).

¹ The Glassdoor Employment Confidence survey is conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Glassdoor. The quarterly survey monitors four key indicators of employment confidence: salary expectations, job security, re-hire probability and company outlook. The Q412 survey also includes employee job search projections and insights on influential factors impacting job offer decisions.

See more from the Q412 Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey  in our press release and survey supplement which includes breakdowns of data by age, gender, region and employment status.

Are you a hiring manager? What is your company doing to invest in its employees in 2013?

Are you an employee? Are you thinking about looking for a new job this year? What factors are mostly likely to influence you to accept another job?

Retention Strategies Imperative In 2013 – One In Three Plan to Look for New Job; Glassdoor Survey is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. One in Five Employees Fear Being Laid Off In Next Six Months; Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey (Q113)
2. Confidence Among Unemployed Job Seekers Reaches 3 Year High; Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey Q2 2012
3. Employee Confidence In Pay Raises & Company Outlook Hits 4-Year High During The First Quarter 2012

So, you could make it easy for her to give you a substantial raise by preparing a short memo on your value, and how that could show up in your paycheck next year. Some managers may respond better if you do this in a one-on-one or conversation first, so you get their blessing to make a case for a large bonus or raise.

If you’re about to do this, pat yourself on the back for taking the initiative. Most people who ask for more money get it, Jack Chapman writes in his book Salary Negotiation: How to Make $1,000 a Minute. This, of course, works best for those who have spent their time and energy on the most important tasks all year and have a track record of success.

This is the month that many bosses are finishing up performance reviews and recommending raises, so get going now to earn more next year.  Here’s how to posture for a primo raise:

1. Do some digging. Start sleuthing early, talking to people in human resources and maybe a manager you’re friendly with in the next department. Go through Glassdoor’s salary sections and check for people who have comparable jobs and experience as you. “In this game, the more information the better,” said Jim Hopkinson, author of The Salary Tutor book. Make sure you pay attention to any clues that the company is facing a rough patch – that is not the time to ask for a 25 percent pay increase, if another department just laid off three people. Also: tap your network to find out the success stories, those with the oversized pay increases, and figure out how they did it, says Mary E. Hayward, a former career director turned salary negotiation and resume coach.

2. Make your boss your ally. “Approach this from a more collaborative point of view” with your boss as an advocate of you and your raise, said Hayward. “That shifts the whole dynamic” when you can go to your boss and strategize on how you can build a case for a big raise. You may even be able to write part of your performance review, or at least provide the bullet points of your top five or seven accomplishments. Ideally, you’ve been developing this relationship all year round. If not, start now. Ask for a quarterly meeting or discussion of your work, and review your accomplishments and goals for the coming period. Be sure to ask: “How can I help you make a success of the work ahead?”

3. Joke about a $1 million salary. Job candidates who quipped, “Well, I’d like a million dollars, but really I just want what’s fair,” when asked about their expected salary, ended up with an offer that was almost $4,000 or 12 percent higher than those who declined to give an expected salary, according to a Fortune.com article. The reason: “When we encounter a number — even an irrelevant number — we fixate on it, and it influences our judgment,” Todd Thorsteinson, a psychology professor at the University of Idaho, told Fortune.com.

4. Put your number in context.  If you document that you’ve brought in an extra $25,000 in revenue beyond your quota that gives you a strong platform from which to ask for a $7,000 raise. “Monetize your contributions,” Chapman suggests, whether your role is scientist, engineer or secretary. Some people help others achieve results or save them time and effort – those can be quantified too.

5. Consider an adjective. If your boss asks you, how much of a raise you want, sometimes it’s better to “keep it vague,” said Hopkinson at SalaryTutor. This is where terms such as generous, substantial, large may work in your favor. That way you don’t leave thousands of dollars in income behind by asking for a 7 percent raise when your boss was thinking 11 percent.

6. Take along tough year alternatives. If your company just reported a big loss, or had to close some locations, your salary increase proposal may need to be abridged.  You could ask that your performance be evaluated again in six months, and then draw up a list of specific goals that you need to achieve to earn a healthy increase, Hayward suggested. Or “go for perks” instead of money, things like membership to a local gym, increased tuition reimbursement, attending a professional convention or more vacation time. Said Hayward: “In this crazy world, three extra vacation days have a very high value to most people.”

6 Ways To Raise Your Raise is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. 5 Ways To Get A Pay Raise
2. Setting Yourself Up For A Pay Raise
3. Can I Ask For A Raise Yet?

If you want this to be more than wishful thinking, pull out your goals and get your game on for the performance review and raise season that’s just ahead. Most companies hand out merit raises after the first of the year. Next year, in U.S. metropolitan areas, raises will average between 2.9 to 3.1 percent, according to WorldatWork, which focuses on compensation research.

Here are five suggestions on how you can show why you’re worth more, courtesy of Jim Hopkinson, a blogger and author of Salary Tutor / Learn the Salary Negotiation Secrets No One Ever Taught You.

1. Show recent successes. Your boss is more likely to overlook a mistake early in the year if you rack up some wins in the last six to eight weeks. Plus some managers are plagued by a “What have you done for me lately?” syndrome, Hopkinson writes. So, roll up your sleeves, push hard and make sure you have some recent successes.

2. Pounce on pet projects. “Every company has their big project, the thing that gets the most buzz,” said Hopkinson. Lately, it’s been anything around mobile or apps or video storytelling. You want to contribute to that. And, if there’s an in-house contest or an appeal to recommend ideas to aid the company, “that’s just screaming for someone to step up and get noticed,” he said. He knows one woman who did that and won the competition to “put herself on the map.” It shows your team spirit and also makes a good bullet point for your review, he noted.

3. Build your brand and online presence. This is important if you’re going for a promotion or considering seeking a job elsewhere that pays more. When Hopkinson speaks to student groups, he asks them how many own their own domain. Usually, only 10 to 20 percent do. “They’re not controlling their message,” he said. Hopkinson is so passionate about this that he’s created a site, Getyournametoday.com (which is affiliated with GoDaddy) to show people how to do it, easily.

4. Practice your pitch. For some, developing bullet points may be enough preparation to guide the conversation with your boss. But, anyone who gets nervous or has trouble speaking up for what they want may want to practice some specific answers and comments, especially to questions that could derail your raise. This allows you to give a strong response and deflect or neutralize the most likely roadblocks.

5. Bring along a brag report. This could be your digital portfolio, packed with visuals and stats, showing how you impacted the business in the last year. Or, it could be a one-page bulleted list of accomplishments, broken into key categories. Some of them clearly must show bottom-line impact – how you saved money or made money or helped others do that – and others must align with your boss’ goals and priorities for the year. Start working on your “Success Portfolio” well ahead of your review date, so you can give your bosses time to see all that you have accomplished.

One final piece of advice: Stay cool, and be prepared to wait a few days after your meeting, Hopkinson says. Just because you’ve been working on this for 10 days doesn’t mean your boss is prepared or able to give you the seven percent raise you’ve requested. She may need to get her boss’ buy-in - especially if the raise is as big as you’ve been hoping.

5 Ways To Get A Pay Raise is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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1. 6 Ways To Raise Your Raise
2. Setting Yourself Up For A Pay Raise
3. How To Get A Pay Raise In A Bad Economy

They earn more than the rest of us even 35 years after high school is over, according to new research from the National Bureau of Economic Affairs.

Students who moved from the bottom of the popularity ranking up to nearer the top – the 80th percentile – earned a salary 10 percent higher, decades after high school. This held true even when the researchers considered several variables like school quality and adult personalities, according to a Wonkblog post in the Washington Post.

The reason their popularity paid off: “Social interactions within the group of classmates provide the bridge to the adult world” as they learned to be socially competent, the researchers wrote.

Even if you were the shyest student in your school, you can learn to put on a varsity jacket of confidence when discussing your next pay raise or raising your hand about a promotion. Some of the techniques used in high school can be applied to career development and job search today.

Here are four lessons everyone can learn from your high school class officers and popular crowd:

1. They were connected. This works well for job-hunters too, especially if your connections are in your field or related fields, said Barbara Herzog, a career coach in Washington, D.C. “If you make connections, you will get better jobs faster on average,” she said. You’ll also learn of new opportunities and become more aware of workplace politics and changes, “thus better at navigating them to your advantage.”

2. They were standouts. When I started in high school, I was known as the girl with the odd, different “northern accent” because my family had moved from the Detroit area to Southern Indiana. That different outsider reputation stuck. Others were known for their eagerness to host parties or their kindness and cheerleader cool. They embraced their personalities and uniqueness. They had personal brands before the term was coined, and they cultivated them carefully.

3. They practiced, a lot.  Even when they already knew they could pass the ball 40 yards, the best players showed up at every practice determined to get better. They spent time during the summer working on their skills too. So ask yourself: “What are you doing to get better at what you do?” Self-development is hard, “often uncomfortable” and requires deliberate actions, Chicago-area leadership coach Art Petty writes in a blog post.

4. They went to all the activities. In high school, the popular kids were at every football game, all the plays and big community events – plus, some of their own clubs and lessons. They were visible and involved.  Likewise, if you want a promotion, step up for some key cross-department committees addressing business priorities, career coach Cheryl Palmer suggests in a Money magazine article. Go to the holiday parties, happy hours and industry mixers – and wear a suit that makes you feel like a winner.

Even if you never will be a cheerleader or football star, you can adopt some of their best techniques and be a winner.

Boost Your Career: Do What The Popular Kids Did In High School is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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In this environment, most people are happy just to have a job and wouldn’t dream of asking for a salary increase, but career experts say that’s a mistake, especially if you are adding value to the company and aren’t getting compensated for it.  “If you are a really good employee, one your manager is going to want to hold on to, they will consider giving you a raise no matter how bad the economy is,” says Susan Heathfield, the guide to human resources for About.com.

According to career experts, while the economy and the job market has languished for the last few years, that is starting to change, putting high performing workers in the driver’s seat when it comes to asking for a raise. Indeed Nancy Kasmar, Practice Lead, Compensation & Benefits Consulting at Washington Employers, says 2013 will likely turn out to be the year of turnover, which means employers are going to have to work to keep their good employees on board.

Know Your Worth

But before you go charging into your boss’s office demanding a pay hike, you have to do your homework. In order to make a persuasive case you have to confirm you are being underpaid, even if it’s slightly less than others in your position. Beyond that, you have to do some inner soul searching to make sure you are that employee the manager doesn’t want to lose.  After all you don’t want to demand a raise if your boss is less than happy with your performance.

Your value could mean different things to different bosses, but signs that you are highly regarded include great reviews, increased responsibilities, leadership roles and even being chosen to mentor other employees. If you fall into that category, it behooves you to hold on to any emails that reflect a job well done and to keep note of the praise you get in the office. That will help you make your argument as to why you should get more money.

“Most people think about it from the perspective of I’ve been here a year, I’m supposed to get a raise every year. But it’s not true. There’s nothing that says you get a raise each year,” says Tom Gimbel, founder and chief executive of LaSalle Network, a staffing and recruiting company. He says to think of instances when you went beyond your job functions and plan to lay that part out for your boss. For instance, if you are an assistant to an executive, saying you want a raise because you manage the calendar all year isn’t enough. But if you point out you took on the role of another assistant when he or she left and not only planned the office parties, but worked them, you’ll show you’re worth more to the company.

Don’t Wait For Review Time

How you go about asking for the raise also matters. Heathfield says not to blindside your boss, but instead tell him or her you want to have a meeting to discuss your compensation. Most bosses have bosses they answer to and if you let them know you want to talk about your pay, that will give your boss a chance to discuss it with his or her manager or human resources ahead of the meeting.

What’s more, Heathfield says, is to not wait until review time. It’s better to do it when you come across information that you are being underpaid or not being paid enough for your position. It could also be prompted by going above and beyond on a project or brining in additional revenue for the company. “People ask for raises when they’ve accomplished something and when they’ve done something for the company,” says Heathfield.

Sell Yourself

Once you’ve got the meeting lined up, it’s time to prepare. That means doing your market research on salaries to ensure you are asking for a reasonable raise.  You then need to list your accomplishments or the reasons you feel you deserve the raise. For instance, if you brought in a new client, figure out how much money that’s making the company or if you completed a project, let that be known and how you went above the assignment.

Never give your boss an ultimatum or the sense you will leave the company if you don’t get what you want. Not only is it bad form, but it could backfire if the boss turns down your request and now knows your loyalty is waning. It could mean lost responsibilities and worse, you could end up being passed over for promotions or declined job training. A company isn’t going to want to invest in an employee they think is planning on jumping ship.

At the end of the day, the way to get a raise, if you deserve it and the company isn’t undergoing layoffs or other financial problems, is to make a persuasive case about your value and contributions. ”You’ve got to sell yourself. You’ve got to figure out what the buyer (your boss) is willing to pay for your skills set,” says Gimbel.

How To Get A Pay Raise In A Bad Economy is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. 6 Ways To Raise Your Raise
2. 5 Ways To Get A Pay Raise
3. 4 Tips For Getting The Raise You Deserve

However, things are a bit different for those employed (full/part or self). This quarter is the first time employee confidence sank below confidence levels held by unemployed job seekers. In Q2 2012, employee optimism surrounding re-hire probability remained flat (37%) when compared to last quarter; and 30% believe it is unlikely they could find a job at all.

The survey also reveals that employees 55 years and older are the most (41%) confident about their chances of finding work, if they were to lose their current job. Those ages 18-34 are least confident (22%), followed by those 35-44 (27%) and 45-54 (31%).

Is the unemployment line slowly dwindling?

While the unemployment rate continues to hover slightly above 8%, there is an indication that layoffs may be slowing down. The survey shows that of employees who reported cutbacks at their company, fewer employees (38%) reported layoffs or that their employer reported plans for layoffs in the past six months – an all-time low since our survey began in Q4 2008.

When asked if employees were concerned that layoffs could still occur in the next six months, 19% are concerned about personal layoffs, remaining steady with reports in the prior quarter. However, concerns over co-worker layoffs dropped four percentage points to 29% when compared to last quarter.

Interestingly, men (23%) are more concerned about being laid off than women (15%) in the next six months.

Is it too soon to ask for a raise? Employee optimism over pay raises drops slightly

While the unemployed may be feeling more optimistic about finding work and layoff reports may be slowing, employees remain cautious about how favorable conditions are inside their companies. Two in five employees (40%) expect to receive a pay raise or cost-of-living increase in the next 12 months, down three percentage points from last quarter. Employees also note that when it comes to company outlook, 45% expect it to stay the same, 10% expect is to get worse, and 45% expect their companies to improve in the next six months.

When salary expectations are broken out by gender, men’s optimism for a pay raise fell five percentage points since last quarter to 40%, while 41% of women expect a pay raise in the next 12 months, an increase of one percentage point from last quarter.

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View the complete results for the Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey including breakdowns by age, location and gender.

Do you feel like the job market is getting better or worse? Are you expecting a pay raise in the next 12 months?

¹ The Glassdoor Employment Confidence survey is conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Glassdoor. The quarterly survey monitors four key indicators of employment confidence: salary expectations, job security, re-hire probability and company outlook.

Confidence Among Unemployed Job Seekers Reaches 3 Year High; Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey Q2 2012 is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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1. Employee Confidence In Pay Raises & Company Outlook Hits 4-Year High During The First Quarter 2012
2. Employee Confidence In Job Market & Pay Raises Increases; Unemployed Job Seekers More Optimistic
3. Majority US Workers Believe Obama Has Clearer Vision For Jobs Creation; Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey (Q3 2012)

Unfortunately, some people assume that if you’re not an official “employee,” you don’t need to be paid. Some people may ask to “pick your brain,” for a quick favor, or to discuss something over lunch.

Here are four tips to getting paid when asked to work for free:

1. Know your worth

You deserve to be paid for your time and effort, just like a full-time employee. Make sure you know your worth and how much you should be getting paid – Check out Salaries for specific job titles at specific companies on Glassdoor, or Google can help, too. The payment would be based on the service you provide and the amount of time you work.

To calculate your worth, think about three things: experience, expertise, and competition. How many years of experience do you have in this field, and what’s that experience worth? In terms of expertise, think about what the going rate is for your work in your industry. For competition, think about what your competitors offer and what makes you different – or better – than them. Your rate and offering needs to be competitive with other providers in your market.

2. Don’t be embarrassed

Asking for money is never easy, but don’t be embarrassed. You know what you’re worth, so ask for it. Be polite and respectful, but also be confident. Trust me, everyone works expecting to be paid – you’re not being rude by asking for compensation.

3. Communicate clearly

Be clear and direct when communicating your worth and your needs to an employer. Don’t beat around the bush! Say something like:

“I’m so glad you’re interested in my work! I’d love to talk to you about the next step, which is a consultation. We can discuss my hours and pay, and your goals for my work.”

4. Be flexible

Though you’ve established and communicated your worth, be prepared to negotiate, as you would if you were negotiating salary at a full-time job. Be flexible in your expectations, and work with your employer to come to an agreement that suits both of you.

How To Get Paid When Asked To Work For Free is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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Optimism Around Company Outlook & Salary Increases

Employee optimism related to pay raises within 12 months, as well as overall company outlook continues to rise during the first quarter of 2012. In fact, for the first time in four years, more employees expect a pay raise than those who do not – 43% of employees expect a pay raise in the next 12 months, while 38% of employees do not, and 19% report they don’t know. A year ago (first quarter of 2011), employee optimism over pay raises was at one of its lowest levels in four years – with only 35% of employees optimistic of a pay increase within 12 months.

The optimism around pay increases may be tied to the fact that more employees believe their company’s outlook is improving. Nearly half (46%) of employees believe their company outlook will be better in the next six months, up six points from the prior quarter, reaching the highest level ever, since Glassdoor began conducting this survey in 2008.

In addition, men continue to be more optimstic than women when it comes to company outlook, but the gap has narrowed in the past year. In the first quarter of 2012, 48% of men felt their company’s outlook will improve within six months, compared to 45% of women. One year ago (the first quarter of 2011) 50% of men were optimistic that their company outlook would improve within six months, compared to just 28% of women.

Concern About Layoffs Edges Up, While Optimism Trips Over Job Market Prospects

While much of this latest survey is encouraging, at the same time, more employees are concerned about layoffs, not only for themselves, but also for co-workers. Nearly one in five (19%) are concerned they could be laid off in the next six months, up two points from the fourth quarter after declining the two preceding quarters. One-third of employees (33%) are also concerned co-workers could be laid off in the next six months, rising five points from the fourth quarter of 2011.

To add to rising layoff concerns, employees are growing less optimistic about their job prospects should they lose their current position. The survey shows that 37% of employees are confident in their ability to find a job matched to their experience and compensation levels, if they were to lose their current job, within six months. This figure has dropped to its lowest since the fourth quarter of 2010.

It’s also worth pointing out that more than one-third (36%) of those unemployed but looking for work say they believe it is likely they will find a job in six months, up six points from the fourth quarter of 2011, to its highest level since this survey began in 2008.

Interested in more insight into current employee and job seeker sentiment by age, location and gender? View the complete results for the Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey.

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Are you looking for jobs?  Do you feel like it’s getting better or worse?

Employee Confidence In Pay Raises & Company Outlook Hits 4-Year High During The First Quarter 2012 is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Confidence Among Unemployed Job Seekers Reaches 3 Year High; Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey Q2 2012
2. Employee Confidence In Job Market & Pay Raises Increases; Unemployed Job Seekers More Optimistic
3. Employee & Job Seeker Confidence Stalls; Optimism Around Pay & Company Outlook Wanes

That something could be a wayward pilot who starts behaving erratically like the one on the JetBlue flight last week, or it could be a co-worker’s heart attack or a charity event that really needs a speaker from your organization. It also could be an angry client showing up unannounced and threatening to disrupt the shareholders annual meeting or the office refrigerator, full to the brim, suddenly not working.

Truth is there are plenty of opportunities to “save the day” if we start looking for them, some of them quite small and some of them amazing and well, heroic.

Here’s how to get going, cape completely optional:

Develop a hero’s mindset.

You have to see yourself as a hero, as someone who can save the day, before you will be able to really jump in and help. This is a key message in the book Be The Hero by Noah Blumenthal. Start seeing and telling your life and work story with you cast as the hero – that’s Blumenthal’s powerful message. You choose the heroic perspective.

Cultivate a calm, problem-solving personality.

This is something that can be developed over time, with practice. You may not give up your “gee, this is a crazy stressful situation. I’m checking out” perspective all at once, but you can gradually build your perspective toward something more engaged and helpful.   

Anticipate trouble.

Some problems can be spotted ahead of time, especially if you’re observant and watch for erratic behavior or watch the weather alerts. So take some time and create a list of potential hazards and trouble spots around your workplace. Talk to a few co-workers about the biggest recurring headaches. Once you have a good list of them, pick out a couple that you could resolve. Or go to your boss and offer to develop a small project around researching and implementing safeguards or solutions.

Join the emergency planning committee.

Most big companies have a group that plans for big disruptions; think blackouts, natural disasters and the like. They develop contingency plans and know where the back-up generators are stashed. But they may need someone with an eye toward the needs of the single moms who work in the call center or factory, and are going to want to check on their kids before anything else.

Learn basic first aid.

Take a CPR class. Locate a disaster planning seminar. See what other classes your local continuing education or Red Cross has available, and start learning some tools and techniques that could be helpful.

Along the way, you want to keep your boss in the loop on your heroic actions and your efforts to become the indispensable problem-solver in your office. Document the value of what you’ve done, with time savings or customers who stayed with the company despite their initial ire. These may serve as one or two bullet points to back up your request for a pay raise at your next review, or they may showcase your skills so that you’re offered a promotion or a new stretch assignment.

After all, heroes are rare and powerful people, and their value and confidence increases with each good deed.

The Value Of Saving The Day At Work is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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