Here Is The Reason Why People Fail To Thrive In Their Jobs

Mastery of a task does not mean that you are ripe for a promotion

I recall that in my young career, I always looked up to my manager and asked myself.

What are they doing that I must do to get promoted?

They are good at navigating conversations. My managers were also good at identifying problems, breaking down their causes, and matching each with a practical solution.

And in my young mind, how can I steer dialogues if I still need to improve in the problem-solving game in my chosen function?

A Honda 1.5 Liter Engine Desiring To Be A Civic SiR

The first step was to perform a self-reflection or evaluation.

I was reminded of my Honda 1.5 liter engine some 25 years ago. It was a stock car dressed up like a Honda Civic SiR. I joined a stock race and sucked.

If I were to prepare for another event at that time, to further my chances in a stock car race in my category, the best thing to do first is evaluate what my car can do.

Switching it back to you, obviously — you are not a car, but imagine you are that car and wish to take a more senior technical role or leadership position.

Before jumping into a plan, you need to assess what you are capable to do

• For example, you are a junior sourcing staff and are told to request supplier quotations and submit them to the procurement manager.
• Your manager initiated some discussions with the vendor, and you observed that your boss had a few moments with the requesting department.
• Then, you were instructed to create a purchase order for one of the vendors.
• You routed it for signature and sent it to the supplier for confirmation.
• Then, when you’re done, you move to a different transaction but the same process all the time.
• After a year or two of doing the tasks and performing functions, you told your manager that you were interested and aiming for a promotion to a senior procurement analyst or officer.

Inventory of Modifications

You may know your process very well as a procurement staff, but there are more things to learn beyond the eyes.

As a junior staff, you should learn from your manager, such as

• Does the cheapest quotation count, or is it an intersection of the quality of products and services and the price that is important?
• Consider how vital the management allocates the budget. What do you think impacts other business requirements in case you availed something beyond the budget?
• Determine how negotiating the offer or terms is critical in the sourcing process.
• Ask why supplier accreditation must be observed, especially for critical vendor partners such as healthcare providers, office premises, consultants, and the like.
• Have you thought about why it is essential to have independent approvers or evaluators in the request for proposal process?

See, things may be simple as you observe them from the outside.

Understanding the business context and off-cycle activities happening in your process is vital.

Performing work is more than doing steps 1,2 and 3.

You need to know how the business operates and how your functions play a huge part in producing sales or managing your company’s resources.

Honesty is the best policy.

I have coached more than a hundred people already.

Let’s face it: all of us are not perfect; even your manager fails to act as a leader, especially if they are new in the role and trying to learn how to navigate.

Numerous people are leaving the company because most need guidance from their leaders.

I’ve heard people share with me that their managers:

• They do not have time to coach them because they are busy with tasks.
• Some managers have favoritism, so be it; this is how my clients initially say
• Usually, managers just set one-on-ones with their teams very seldom to the point they get surprised upon the release of performance results.
• There are managers who say that they did well only to find out in their performance results that it was the opposite.

And this is the very reason why I advise my mentees to take charge of those one-on-ones.

• Book 15–20-minute calendar catch-ups with your bosses at least every other week.
• The agenda is to update them with your developments about your work and projects that you are working on.
• It is also the best time to seek honest feedback and be direct to their managers about their aspirations to level up.

Never assume or rely on your manager’s initiative. Everybody is busy. All the guys out there are working on something.

Each one is occupied with their goals to hit for the year.

Take the driver’s seat and book something with them.

It is also an excellent time to ask some colleagues about their impression of you, your work, and what possible areas you can improve.

Send them emails and route them to them formally if your contributions made their work easy (or not).

Be ready to hear words that are not pleasing if you want to grow and thrive.

Start dictating yourself what to do.

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