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What an awesome underrated video! ❤ I saw this many times in my feed but was not really baited to click it tbh. The cover looked dull and generic. But oh boy, I was so wrong. Great refreshing content! And especially super on point on the why communicators tend to get promoted over technical experts.
Experience is only as good as its holder. If it does not solve the problem on hand, it's useless. Then, you need to factor in higher management and office politics. The cause for mis judgement. The collapse of your organization. Human error. That's why there always be winners and losers.
I have many friends of color who experience this. What's worse: most are more qualified than the majority and bring their A game. Just a waste of talent in many companies.
Yes that is true too😂. But the best win-win in this case is pray for them to move on to a more suitable job/department where they feel more secure. 😂😂😂
The way I have been able to get promotions is by applying to higher level roles in other companies and accepting those new roles and switching companies. I realized that you have to create your own promotion instead of waiting for someone else to promote you.😊
I've tried that but I seem to be stuck in the same type of roles just different places. I see now it's about networking not effort. I've tested theories. I've done the bare minimum and I've been the worker bee. Neither got me anywhere. What I haven't done is play the corporate game of networking. I'm naturally an introvert and don't particularly enjoy socializing. I believe that's what's held me back. 22 years in the workforce and I been in the same roles for over a decade. I'm tired. I've accepted my fate. My home is about to be paid off, my car is paid off, i have a nest egg and some passive income. I'm comfortable with my income and although I am resentful of how NY "career" has developed, I can accept it and just coast until retirement. I actually consider myself semi retired at age 40. My under developed social skills have held me back my entire life. I have zero desire to address it. But I also accept that I will remain where I am as far as work goes.
@@alexdreamer6725 Tough is nothing. Its either you want a higher level job with a much better salary or you dont want it. If you do want that then you have to apply for those jobs. You wont get it by doing nothing and saying its tough. If you dont get it then try again. Easy as that. Just keep trying. Apply to many jobs until you get one. It is better to "try and fail", than to " fail to try". When you keep trying you will eventually succeed, but when you dont try and just say its tough, then you get nothing period. So forget tough. Tough is nothing.
@@alexdreamer6725just lop off your last work. If you need help people can rewrite your resume for a couple 100$. Remote jobs have been a BLESSING for older workers. You can take the time to retool yourself. Just like soccer says.
I have been working in corporates for over 20 years. I rarely saw a colleague being promoted by merits but over 90% are based on politics, buddies, interests, friendship, game player…etc
Big mistake I made was becoming the go-to-guy fixing everyone's problem in the department. Thought I was a baddy having everyone coming to me for help. Mistake. They got promoted for finishing their projects. In contrast, all I received was verbal gratitude for keeping the department afloat. Strange how that works.
Use the skills you earned to leverage a better position in a different location, or different company altogether. Vote with your feet. Don't fall for the "it is what it is" BS. Stay on the lookout for opportunities, and act when you narrow down on exactly what you would want, and just go for it.
Just FYI, they did not get promoted for finishing their job….they got promoted for getting people to work….that would include you. That’s leadership qualities. You didn’t do that, you did all the work yourself. You are a worker, a helper, not a leader. Now, while you were doing all their work, how many other people did they get to do other work for them? See what I mean?
I do agree in principle, but the reality is a lot of promotions are based on nepotism and being part of the inner circle etc , positions are literally held for these people. Communication is great, but it's meaningless if the boss is not interested in promoting you.
This is why you need to gain their trust, they need to see you as a partner not a threat, they want to know you add value and will make them look good.. They also like to know you know and understand the politics that affects them, and eventually you. When you have achieved all this then you may be highly considered to sit at their table.
Social skills and ability to create links are important skills. I would rather promote my girlfriend over everyone else if it is feasible and won’t cause great harm.
Most of my jobs & working career, all of my mgt. & upper mgt. (to include HR) were absolutely horrible communicators who were liars, abused employees, power hungry Narcissists, cheaters, drug abusers, wife beaters, ex convicts, & scammers who pushed many employees into therapy w/only 2 employee suicides, thankfully. They were demotivating & couldn't be trusted w/super high employee turnover rates under their belts. But, they were often fast- tracked through the system. So, I can see where they're valued.
In my work experiences, promotions are given to people who demonstrate strong leadership qualities, and yes, favoritism. The hard, reliable workers, are kept there and taken advantage of by everyone else who doesn’t want to do the work, and are sometimes even passed over for promotions because the leadership wants to keep that employee in that position to continue doing the work they’re reliable for.
I’m am stuck right there and like fool I just keep cranking it out. The programming to not say “no” is so ingrained in my brain. It takes an enormous amount of energy to keep fighting for reasonable turnaround time.
@@momlikesmemore : I understand. I struggle with saying “No” a lot too, mainly because of the fear of being fired for refusing work. Also, my workplace is so shorthanded, none of us can really say “No,” unless we want the whole place to shut down and none of us have jobs to go to.
If you're an introvert it's difficult, especially in the long term, to out-communicate an extrovert. Typically the route to promotion as an introvert is by moving to another company, who will typically judge you based on your experience and what you can demonstrate in an interview. Treat yourself as your own entity, make your own promotion.
I am degreed, experienced, professional, and friendly, but the reality is the only thing that matters is WHO YOU KNOW, WHO YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH, WHO YOU ARE RELATED TO, AND WHO YOU ARE SLEEPING WITH.
Corrupted society.. in long run society will go down. Corruption causes disorganize cheotic society then no development. Higher the corruption will keep go down to be underdevelopment.
It's NOT. For most people it's about switching jobs when they get stuck. Have you gotten the necessary experience? Then move on to the next level. This can be very hard to do within the company, so you better find a new place to work. It often comes with a high salary increase too
Not some, not half, but EVERYONE I know who has moved up the corporate ladder has told me that the key is relationships. Promotions are 20% technical (know your job) and 80% social (how well you get along with people). People promote people they like. The ability to bond with people will get you promoted. Remember, there is no exam that gets you promoted. People get promoted when someone approves the promotion.
As an Tech Analyst with my DJ business, I told myself a long time ago that I would NEVER give corporate 100% of me again. I have no interest in climbing the corporate ladder and the politics with it. I do my job, have my pay, benefits, and pension while running my own dream in this moment of time. And im thankful for it.
Nope, not true at all. To survive and thrive in cutthroat business environment, every business needs and goes after the best talent they can attract to train and develop their future leadership. Say if nepotism and ass kissing got everyone to the top positions, then what's going to happen when those same not-fit-for-job ass kissers aren't able to deliver? Business won't survive.
As a Mechanical Engineer, a Minority with a Masters Degree, multiple certifications, and who speaks extremely well (I run a TH-cam channel and regularly speak at church) I got tired of Being passed over for promotions by incompetent coworkers that viewed me as a threat, so I simply started applying for promotions at other rival companies every 3 years and I’ve gotten a significant pay bump and promotion every time. You have to take your career in your own hands , especially if you don’t loook like the C-Suite
I'm also a mechanical engineer, I agree. What truly matters is having a mechanical engineer mindset combine this with a sales skill, communication skills, you can truly outshine anyone in a corporate stage. But leadership roles are rare in an organization
@@stevechance150 💯 When I go back to my old racist good ol boy coworkers that stayed at the same company and tell them I make $120,000+ more than them their faces turn cherry Red Corporate Amerrica is a Joke
I have a bachelors degree in IT and nine years of experience, and I can tell you communication is the most important thing. If you are an introverted person you’ll go nowhere no matter what is your degree and how much experience you have. This world belongs to the extroverted people, people that have communication skills.
Where I work introverts get promoted as well (IT). It's usually not management positions, but let's be real: no strongly introverted person wants to lead a dozen persons.
This is where it gets frustrating as an introverted person. In society, our efforts and contributions go unnoticed. I’ve dealt with this in corporate America and even left a company for it. It’s like the loud extroverted kid in class that gets rewarded for answering questions right when really he just repeat what you said but said it louder for recognition. It’s hard for me to respect leadership that leads with their emotions and not based on results and data. That’s how most corporate leaders are unfortunately. I just need to start my own company.
Introvert + working class education. I only watch videos like this out of a morbid curiosity of how those that go up the ladder might think. The solution is to try to find a manager who's only slightly less introverted than you in an organisation that has a spectrum of introversion right up to the least introverted people (e.g. Donald Trump). Business founders and the unemployed are the only people who don't sit in this people equation.
I am a health worker worker with 24 years experience in my field. I’ve been with the same company for a little over 11 years. Recently a supervisor position became available and one of my coworkers with the same years of experience applied for the position and was turned down. The position was given a someone I trained, he started with the company less than a year ago and this is his FIRST JOB as a health care worker. So here’s someone a 25 year old, remember I’ve been doing this for 24 years, and 11+ years with the company and a higher degree . He was given the position and is currently earning more money than my coworker who applied for the position as well as myself. Although I did not apply for the position it made me realize that it is time to move on. The long hours at the hospital is taking a toll on me, I am hoping to get a job working from home and with better pay.
I hear your pain. Diesel mechanic of 23 years. Been promised supervisor positions x3 times over 3 different jobs. Left each time. Realized I worked to hard and am a master at my job. My current job. My 29 year old coworker. Who was on his phone half the day. But everyone loved him. He got promoted last supervisor to manager in training. My manager would tell me I am kicking butt and should try for lead etc. I told him no thanks. It sucks being 48 and just a senior tech. Most managers are late 30s. I do my job well but go home.
Why does it bother you? You have the experience to take your skills anywhere. He probably had something you don't or is friends with the hiring managers, maybe they want a fresh perspective. Take your qualifications elsewhere as a supervisor
Spent 5 years in a company and saw the same type of situation happening, that's when I've realised my skills and experiences could be better used somewhere else and i could get more rest.
Networking is very important, and working under right boss is another factor. If your boss goes up on the ladder and you are his trustworthy implementer the more chances you have to grow
Having been in this situation myself. My advice for anyone that is intelligent and has valuable skills is to start your own business based on something you love and be successful because you can make it. It's about mindset. In the past before I valued myself, I didn't think that I could do it but I am moving upwards and I am focusing on being my own boss. Don't tolerate what doesn't serve you, move on and be the best!
I taught business managers from all over the world for nearly 30 years. Out of the hundreds I taught no more than a handful impressed me as being more than mediocre or even pretty bad. A large number of them were toxic individuals and many were petty-minded. Only a handful showed true leadership and management skills. The truth is that people get ahead for the wrong reasons. They are selected for being bossy self-promoters or yes-men, though it helps to be tall if you're a man and good-looking if you're a woman. Psychopaths are grossly over-represented in management (a little internet search will give you the evidence for this). Companies would probably be best advised to select managers randomly - perhaps even giving people management positions on rotation.
The last MNC i worked for used to do this routinely. Shifting managers around and not letting a manager sit in one position long enough to have favourites and cliques. It only worked partially but was at least good in that you did not get stuck with an absolute psycho or dead-beat manager for more than 6 months. Most reasonably able workers were able to "weather the storm " of bad management and make progress when a reasonable manager was installed. In modern companies the culture is vitally important to understand and work within. The harder you work the less effective you will be in any tasks you are measured on. It is better to excel in a limited number of tasks than be mediocre or make mistakes in a large number of tasks. Most sensible managers will understand that each worker has limitations in what they can output. Some psycho users do not want to understand.
"perhaps even giving people management positions on rotation." -This should be done throughout our society, those who meet a minimum of competency are rotated into and out of govt and public roles . EVERYONE with enough mental horsepower, gets to participate in government, no more election BS, term limits by default, and everyone has a stake in the process and outcome.
You can become a victim of your own success. As a highly competent worker you will get asked to do more and more to the point that it negatively effects your health. Don't let this happen to you. The company will happily burn you out and dump you for another candidate who's a diligent worker and do the same to them. Balance is very important.
Sometimes you don't move up because you showed you are really good at the job, so they keep you in that position because they know those tasks will get done. They are too lazy to find someone else to replace that job position if they promote you. Also sometimes they are intimidated by your potential, so they purposely keep you away from those at the top.
That's my problem. I always end up being seen as a threat by management. But then I work hard and do things right. I learn fast and work quiet efficiently. I also carry a very strong management aura. I left my last job because someone got promoted who had no business being in management and all they ended up doing was causing problems. I was not going to work in a place like that. Then you have all the places that won't hire a manager if they don't have prior management experience with at least 2 or more yrs. But then how can you get that if you're not ever promoted to that position.
That was my problem, OP. I was given the "You're too valuable in the role you're in" speech, though they made concerted efforts to not say it so on-the-nose. As well as the intimidation factor inasmuch as they were intimidated by the fact that they knew if they let me off the chain, not only would I thrive and excel but I would advance past them in short order. It's about power and control. They want to keep you down. They want to keep you in a controlled sandbox. If you have ANY real potential to surpass them by advancing, they'll make sure you never do.
Right! They ended up hiring so many people above my rank even.. due to crises. And then when they finally increase the headcount. We end up having to compete so much more. It sucks!
I recognise these stages 100%. Was stuck in a highly skilled technical role for about 20 years. I remember a boss once telling me “don’t be too good at what you do or no one will promote you”🤷🏼♂️. I thought that was very strange 😂. However, I broke into management by simply volunteering to manage projects (with the bare minimum of qualifications to do so😉), by networking my socks off, BS-ing my socks off (fake it til you make it 🤫) and learning to talk the hind legs off a donkey on management subjects I hadn’t a clue about… but hey, I had good grammatical skills so the BS sounded convincing 😂 … long story short… I quadrupled my salary in 5 years… true story
@@christophdenner8878 not really. Not all people want to lead. I have worked in the IT industry for 22 years and never been promoted. They tried once I resigned 😅 and switch to a different part of the organization. You think boss are powerful? Nah... you just are not good to position your power as part of the rank and file. And salary is totally your control which is totally your control. Just dont take a salary you dont like. Specialize in a core skill that earns good salary. And the good thing about not being a boss is that you are not a slave to the boss above them. Trust me, they are grunt workers too in a documentation and taking BS sort of way. Maybe this is just engineering type of projects 😂. Our industry is still meritocracy
I've tried the volunteering to do more part. Employers have never shied away from giving me more responsibility, but they gave the title and the money to others.
I got promoted and dont kiss up to anyone or have any deep connections. I come in, do my work, cordial and i go about my business. No gossip, no drama, just respectful as long as you respect me. Im no longer with that company and I got a better position with a prefix on my job title (for the same work, and almost doubled my pay). Again, no special connections.
0:50 lowest level of value: implementation of work - disclipined, reliable, and focused. Keeps your job but does not get you promoted. 2:36 second level of value: unification of work of others - managing people, projects, policies. 6:14 highest level of value: communication as it pertains to leadership - communicating effectively and authentically to generate charisma, trust, and inspiration.
@@bonchidude No, it’s not. YOU’RE making it about race. You sound just as silly as those who say it’s about gender, appearance, politics, or any of the other things that are NOT actually holding people back. If you keep making it about race, you’ll never get the promotion unless you threaten to sue your employer for discrimination. And even then, once you get the job, it will all circulate through the rumour mill in your workplace that you just got the job because of your race, and no one will truly respect you.
In the institute where I earned my MBA, the most important factor for getting higher grades is class participation in the discussion of the topic at hand. It is where you display your verbal communication ability - from explaining the analysis of the problem you perceive, to presenting your proposed solutions. Then defending your analysis and solutions to your classmates who are just too glad to shoot down your ideas to prove to the professor that they know better. That's how I learned to be a better communicator than my former relatively shy self. I was practically "forced" into it to avoid a failing grade! Looking back now at how fast and how high I rose in my career after I got my MBA, I fully agree that great communication - verbal and written - is the most significant factor for such.
Make sure you want to become a manager in the first place. Nothing wrong with being a highly skilled implementer: you're the guy who keeps everything working. Just make sure you're getting compensated for your skills, and if you aren't, start looking elsewhere. A company that pays handsomely its managers, but not its superstar workers is not one you want to be in.
I worked for a company that had more managers than execs. Literally 20 managers were sharing the same 10 execs across departments. I was hired at an exec level but my actual job scope was closer to the de facto marketing manager (while also being an exec and sometimes doing intern level work) because the actual marketing manager had no marketing experience. But I couldn't be promoted because 'I was too important in my role', so they'd earmark new joiners and add them to the managerial pool without hiring any more execs. It was beyond ridiculous to say the least.
That's exactly what I've been wrestling with... what if I love doing instead of overseeing others do. As you say that superstar working should be getting well compensated... if not then find a place that will 😅
imagine working for a place that has more middle management than actual skilled workers, in an industry that is completely based on a skilled trade, its a joke 🤣
This is my problem too. I have no interest in managing people and having to worry about whether or not they're doing their work well. I would just rather be my own worker and do my work well, but unfortunately this mentality is not rewarded in the corporate workplace. dpDoes anyone know what might be a better situation to go to where people like us are appreciated?
I live in Italy and I can tell you that nepotism and favoritism are extremely common in my country when hiring, firing and/or giving a promotion at the workplace. Sometimes, these cultural trait are not limited to a single company: they are national and they have negative consequences on the overall economy since non-deserving people get what they don't deserve at all.
@@masterexploder9668 Correct, but actually, when it becomes a common cultural trait, it almost becomes national. There are only a few exceptions. This is so frustrating
I read years ago, that Itanlian aristocrats were promoted in my field of geological research but did little work. They simply had staff that did all the work. The well-born connected aristocrats walked into positions that they had not earned.
Completely agree with her. Work harder and education can lead you to a stuck point. Being visible and talk at the right time in front of the right ppl is the key. Great video
And that's why we Europeans are suffering so much in US corporations. This is a clash of value systems. Europeans tend to believe in hard work and dedication. Americans believe in having your mouth open all the time.
"The only reward for hard work is more work" - At my previous company, I was very focused on the implementation side, and became so proficient at what I did, that it sealed my fate. Although I built a great team out of my department, trained them, and led them, I was never promoted. My company instead brought in less experienced or inexperienced people and placed them in positions of authority over me, disregarding my years of experience, to keep me doing more of the same.
They were threatened by your work , so they bring people in who are less experienced then them , people underestimate ,how insecure those upper management people , I'm learning sometimes it better to play dumb but be smart .
When I was in the military I quickly learned that is not about what you know but who you know, and the higher you go in rank the more important it is. It's no different in any other organization.
Favoritism is rampant! For reasons like: gossiping, bribing ,news carrying etc which takes the place of efficiency, loyalty and real genuine people.. im sick to my stomach of this..really good employees get stuck in a rut while deceitful ones climb the ladder..
sadly this is true. its all about empty communication. in my experience people who can talk are the ones who climb up the ladder. Gone are the days when education and experience were crucial.
You can talk the talk but are you going to walk the walk? That said you have to be capable to communicate effectively, that includes to know how to listen.
It's not about empty communication. It's just communication. Your CEO doesn't do the handywork, but that doesn't mean he doesn't do anything. The higher up you go, It's all about soft skills that enable a company to network with the rest of the market and relay products and services from its suppliers to its customers. Think about your computers operating system. It doesn't know how to perform static analysis on a skyscraper or calculate a fluid simulation. It just manages memory, monitor, external devices and so on to enable the applications to do their job. Same with a CEO. He is the front face of the company, he can't irritate people, mess up his priorities or lock up in the face of trouble. It's not easy, and most people aren't smooth enough for it. It's not unfair. It's just how it works.
In my opinion, high performers with the high expertise is the core of the company. Company with the mindset of putting expertise as low level while promoting less skilled people leads to conflict situations what can result in experts leaving the company, and if company loses their experts, then good luck moving forward 😀
"while promoting less skilled people" It's not a question of skill quantity so much as skill type. An engineering manager doesn't need to be a better engineer. An engineering manager needs to be better at managing engineers. They're different skills.
@@wisenber technical managers who lack an understanding of project scope and necessary work lead to disasters. Ive seen it so many times where people with no technical expertise get promoted to senior technical management and at best add no value, at worst destroy departments. No, you want someone with a strong technical background.
Wisenber and kodejam are both correct... Speaking from experience here... I work in an IT startup and the founder made one of his relatives, manager of a department he had no subject knowledge of. This guy had a history of burning down three busnisses already and worse has an arrogance of 'i know enough' and ' u dont need to know technical, just know how to manage'. Our dept. Relies on getting offshore projects and for 4 years he has been able to get 0. He keeps applying for projects that dont align with our resources, he hires incompetent workers, does not understand client requirements and pathetically relies on one team lead to interpret team dyanamics(who uses him to get his own incompetent friends and relatives hired, get better pay while doing no job)... Result=0 revenue, employees regularly leave, when they dont he makes their lives hell with his toxicity, and in the end blame the hardworking employees to deny them much earnt promotions. On the other hand i dont think any mid exp level techie could have done any better either. They cant get enough opportunities from their pitiable networks, and are too scared to do anything other than code on their laptops.
There's a misconception that promotions are earned. Like if you work hard you are rewarded with a promotion. This is usually not the case. There's an even bigger argument to keep you where you are. If you are a highly skilled software engineer, that may not necessarily mean you are good at managing software engineers. And my experience, the more talented you are at the craft, the more likely you will make a poor manager. Doctors are an excellent example of this phenomenon.
Disagree 100%. Many professionals, including software engineers and doctors, would be excellent people managers. In contrast, many actual managers are unethical and got their positions by being dishonest. Many managers are promoted for offering quick easy quick solutions, all the time knowing that they don't have the easy solutions, and lying to get promoted. The world would be a much better place if we promoted based on merit, and not based on demagoguery.
Narcists get promoted in the organisations and staff members are encouraged to understand them and give them whatever they want because they they will throw tentrums if they don't get what they demand.
if you want a promotion and you think you have the skills apply for job outside the company. keep doing this till you get a offer now go to your employer tell them to give you a promotion if not leave .now keep doing this until you are where you want to be. there you go I just saved you all 10 minutes!
To anyone who feels like they are the relaible worker who gets nowhere. Try slowley working on you communications skills and continue doing the hardwork you do after a little time CHANGE JOBS. This is a tough one for a lot of people. No matter how well you become at communicating, it is very hard to change the opinions of people you've worked with already. User your current job as trainging for youself! move on and re DISCOVER yourself!
I do that. I change jobs. But I wish I could find a place where I can stay and do a good job and not get burned out. I don’t necessarily want to be promoted. I don’t want to be a leader. I am good at what I do. I want to be valued and appreciated for what I do. I don’t wish to complicate my life by being a manager. But it always come down to, be more assertive, be more independent, and find opportunities to lead.
@@maritzaozepy1903me either! Can i just celebrate the personal wins i have for myself, do my job wonderfully? Im not interested making a job my life or the stress that comes with it.
She hit it! I came to this conclusion from observation years ago. "They talk really well". In my experience, the best talkers are the biggest bull-shitters because they can leverage their charisma and talk out of their a$$ with just no real content or even worse, false content.
My supervisor is a clear example that it is not the skills that get you there: if he AT LEAST had the leadership skills. But it is not the case. What he got is connections, dressing very well and speaking softly and diplomatically. But he’s the prime example of someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing and unprofessional behavior.
That probably happens a lot in large companies!! It has happened to me so many times when I worked at a medical school as a professor (merit does not really count there)!!! The least competent there is the one promoted mainly because they work less and thus have more time to be brownnosing the bosses!!! When I realized this, I quit that job. I am now working for myself in my small business as a doctor and I get to enjoy the benefits of my efforts. I really appreciate my good employees. I have seen so many small businesses go down the tubes precisely because they did not value the employees that got things done and when the good employees get tired of not being appreciated, they go somewhere else, thus the businesses fail!!!!
I know someone horrible who i think must have jumped two levels in very short time by just bullying and threatening their management. It's my theory. Was nice when this person was promoted out of my daily life 😂
So true. It’s not about education or implementation, it’s about nepotism and favoritism. If you were not willing to submit or be passive to the bosses, forget about promoting. This is so disheartening and devaluing.
Why be so negative. You can always apply for a higher position with a different employer. There is plenty of free info on the internet also on how to be a better manager/supervisor. Careful what you wish for too. It can be rewarding and challenging. Then again if it isn’t all that difficult then how would it be rewarding.
Nothing negative about what you've said. Cold hard facts. Moving to another company is a temporary fix however. In other words wherever you go there you are..not doing any personal improvement on how you interact with people will yield the same old results. The other side of the coin is fighting the hive mind which drives today's organizations. They all do the same things the same way, which means you really have to decide what you want from these people besides a paycheck.
@@f430ferrari5 Because it is not about a specific company, it's about the system. You are caught in the rat race, it's all a lie, doesn't matter where you go or what you do.
@@p.1019 more complaining. 😂🤣 So what are you going to do? Be a professional thief and robber? The mindset of a criminal. Victim mentality. I have a Ferrari. You obviously don’t. 👍
Sometimes you have to climb sideways to another ladder (a k.a. switch companies) to advance rather than trying to climb up that single corporate ladder
You are not alone. I left previous job because I was overlooked and recently saw on LinkedIn that the woman that I trained and mentored, is now a DIRECTOR in that company. 😅 Oh God, jist because sje can really talk a d manipulate people. I can only smile otherwise I'd cry. I might start my own company doing whatever 😂.
Be the guy people want to come talk to. Everything is about social interactions. If the people above like you and enjoy being around you, then you are going to get favoritism from them. Don't stress people out, be the person who people come to vent to. Someone they want around. You can be the best tech or whatever in the world, but if you don't have good social/people skills, you will have a tough time moving forward.
The problem is in few jobs i worked so far people above me just love having their ass kissed. Interactions with them are so fake and superficial, even if I dance their little dance I can't get rid of the feeling I'm wasting my time. So is it my poor people skills, or they are just shitty human beings that I don't want to deal with? Or maybe it's both?
@@tomaszw2729 I share your sentiment. Maybe its not your poor people skills, its just that being real is not a quality that is valued by shitty human beings. When I dance their little dance, I feel kind of dirty. I don't think all orgs are like this though, or at least I vaguely remember not feeling this way.
Easiest way to get a promotion is to move companies. Don’t be scared just do it. Experience at multiple companies teaches you so much. People who stay at the same company for years do not have the same breadth of industry experience
Thank's for confirming a belief i have had my entire adult life. Nothing is more important than our ability to communicate well. Bad communication either slows things down, make mistakes or ruins everything entirely. A great communicator knows how to use language to his situational needs. They know when to be neutral, when to be aggressive and assertive and they know when to be a bit more passive. A great communicator is not only great at communication but is also great at reading a situation and sensing his environment.
this is correct - i spent so much time on my skills...and doing the work...and i saw my friends...just walk about doing nothing...but they spoke better than me...and got promoted more....becoz i was doing the work and they were doing the talking....
Depends the job is better just talk. Another jobs is better get the skills and grow from the bottom. People are desperate to become important however do the job in a real way is the most important skill we can get specially technicians jobs. A managers position can be great but start your own small business is much better than be a licking boots of someone.
You touched upon the great reasons. Sometimes being “too valuable on the floor” hurts your chances at promotion, and you’ll have to leave because you’re perceived in a “certain role”, and you need to go somewhere else to be seen with fresh eyes. If you want to move up to leadership, the trick is to be visible and speak up. If you keep your head down, work hard, and deliver, that’s not enough. Get involved in projects that give you visibility, and make sure you TALK in public. Communication and public speaking is an important skill to have in leadership. Also, WHO you know is important. Make sure you have mentors and advocates to help you with your cause, especially those who have influence and connections. Building relationships is another important leadership skill to have.
I trained my bosses. First job, trained the new person and he became my boss and cut my hours and I quit the job. Had an intern who we in the dept wrote letters of recomendation, hen was on the interview panel and hired him. Then we left the job. He came back as my position and then beat out another tech who had more time and whom I warned about promotions. My intern became the Director of IT. When my intern was my intern he said "When I become Boss I want to hire you" Now I was unemployed and applied and called him. He knew and did not even make it to interview. I try NOT to help interns, training anyone and now stay at jobs less than 2 years. No loyalty to no one.
Being very good at your job is not enough to move up. Having powerful mentors and being friends with the connected in an organization is more important. Powerful officials promote those they know and like.
One thing I learned in business. If you want to advance then train the people below you to be able to take over if you get promoted. If you do a great job yet have no one to replace you, the boss is not going to promote you up and worry about who is going to fill your slot.
I remember when I was an engineer, a peer catapulted himself to VP of Marketing while the rest of us watched in amazement. How did he do it? He bullshitted through his teeth at team meetings about what we were going to deliver and when. Being his co-worker I knew what he was saying was total crap. But management loved his confidence and swagger and rewarded him for it. I think if you really want to feel valued you can't even be in corporate America. It's a waste of time. Start your own business and be the boss. When you're making a living on your own terms, you won't have this feeling of being unvalued. YOU will value yourself, and that's far more important than what someone else thinks of you.
"I knew what he was saying was total crap. But management loved his confidence and swagger and rewarded him for it." if it was all crap they must have found out later about it, right? So did they keep him in his position?
At the implementation level, you have the least responsibility of all. You're not paid much because you're replaceable. Most people don't want responsibility and they don't see the bigger picture, which would enable them to take on responsibility.
At my last Job I was the guy who got the promotion over a lot of angry people. My managers told me "We're really glad that you actually came here and told us you want to be promoted and take on more responsibility. Often times we're sort of guessing who wants a promotion and who's willing to take on responsibility, and then people get hurt because they don't tell us anything". What I learned was, be clear in what you want, and make it know you're willing to take on responsibility
This is an excellent point. I have seen this sort of thing happen. “How come SHE was promoted. I’ve been working here three years longer than her!” Well, maybe it’s because she expressed an interest in advancing but you didn’t. Sorry, but that’s your loss and that’s on you.
Agreed, also be honest when the manager put you on a lot of pressure; like tight and unreasonable deadlines! You are willing to take more responsibility but it’s important to tell when you could be above capacity
@@JosephineClair Big thing is, if you're trying to make more money. Taking on more responsibility shouldn't really be doing more, but rather doing more important things, that not everyone else can do. Like managing people, being able to work independently, working with more expensive equipment etc.
Well I'm so glad my company they do not promote directly to that employee. Sure if he/she address interest in position employees has to wait until jobs is posted within the company via email to all employees than they can apply for the position. This is to prevent this type issue. And managment can not place a recommendation for that employee either. Applications from the applicants will be review only by the district branch manager not the dept manager lol. This is also to prevent favoritism by the manager and the supervisor.
Based on my experience you get promoted if: 1. Your boss is sleeping with the GM 2. Work for a company for 12 yrs, end up training 3 new bosses who has zero experience. 3. Be the friend/family member of the office manager/HR and get hired without knowledge or experience only to get paid more than someone (me) that has a higher education and more experience. 4. Coworkers lying to management about the work they did, when they are taking credit for your work. And management puts them on an undeserving pedestal.
I think there's a different strategy altogether. For everyone saying you need to be extrovert and always be constantly communicating your value externally, virtue signaling or any of these things rather than just being an extremely good implementor, I would urge you to look at continuing your profession in a venue that will value that more. If you aren't valued where you are, you may be able to seek better opportunities elsewhere, don't let nepotism and favouritism keep you locked down, keep putting yourself in new opportunities and in front of more eyes. Don't always focus on who *you* know, start trusting that others will learn and remember you. If you aren't valued, go somewhere where you will be.
Indeed. People naturally sort people into boxes in their mind. Once they have decided at some level what your value is... It may be excessively hard to break out of that. Often, a business will flat out refuse to give minor concessions and raises to an existing employee... But when that person leaves won't hesitate to give a lot more that the 1st person asked to their replacement. It's crazy stupid, yet happens all the time. Solution? Go where you are valued. When you have another real option on the table, you can use that as leverage to negotiate better terms. Not perfect but something like this: "Our time is valuable, so I'll keep this short. I have an offer from another company that's baking me more with better terms and perks. I'm planning to accept, but out of respect the work you do here, I'm giving you this opportunity to value me more than them with a better offer to stay. Take 2 days to think about it, then meet me again to make an agreement." (leave it vague enough that they can't nickel and dime, but instead choose to anti up or not) If they don't go for it, you just learned that *they don't value you,* so it's a good thing you already line up a better place. If they do go for it, you just increased your market value, because people look to how others valued you to decide what they think you are worth (especially manager type personalities, because their worth/salary is almost entirely built on that premise!) The typical improvement move to another company amounts to more than several years raises and starts fresh with a new raise track vs the old company's plateauing / tapering off raises. That's why it's recommended to change companies every 3-5yrs to significantly increase your income.
In simple words, employee should always look for better opportunity outside current company. One thing to watch out for, if you have proprietary knowledge, the other company might only want to stole it. Once they can implement it, you're obsolete.
I have to disagree with this advice because even if your current management offers more money to keep you, there will always be that distrust which will hurt your advancement opportunities going forward. If you want to move up/make more money, it’s best to just apply for another position. That how I moved up and got higher pay. Do not waste time and energy expecting to be promoted. Focus on getting your experience and building your network.
I find this depressing because it’s all so tiring. There are games being played all around and while I know this, it’s all so foreign to me and it seems like a lot of hard work for me while it’s something that’s super natural for others. Life is not fair, I accept that
I’m 54 and I’m glad that I remained on implementation level for my whole career. Because to me, design and implementation have the highest levels (I don’t feel like being ‚the market’ though, I feel like being a creator)
I've been through many positions, the one that I like the most is a doer. I don't seek promotions anymore, I now only value my doing and focus on doing it so well that I even got paid higher than my manager because of other opportunities popped up. I'm saying this for ppl who are good at what they're doing and not into communication and charisma stuff. Value what you're doing and always open your eyes to opportunities and help ppl all around the world. Be always honest, learn and sharpen your skills in what you love doing, and do not have emotional ties with a company. Have ties with YOUR company: yourself. (All the great ppl you meet along the way are the true Bonus of the journey)
My solution to all the corporate promotion BS is to start my own business. I suggest all of you to have an entrepreneurial spirit, take a risk and go for it. Getting an MBA degree actually helps. For those with a spouse, make sure you get the support of your spouse. In my case, one of us was working to support the risk taker. It worked for us and the payoff was substantial. I am 65 now, I told my son to do the same. The key to success is to know the right experience, right timing, right location, right partnership and the right vision.
This is the way to go if you want to be true to your abilities and their value. This differs to what is suggested in this video, which is how to win at The Corporate Game. Ugh, what an awful existence. You also nailed it with your advice about one's spouse needing to be on board with the entrepreneurial plan. Your spouse has to have stamina and tenacity greater or equal to yours. Good words.
Taking a risk and setting up on your own does not work in the era of high mortgages or rents and high family costs. Children are dependent on their parents for far longer than in the past and housing is now eye-wateringly expensive. Not everyone has the courage and self-confidence to go out on their own and competitors and customers know this. The important thing is to keep your financial affairs and vulnerabilities top secret. Customers will leverage any weakness to get cheaper rates as will competitors to edge you out and take your customer base. Self employed people tend to be very independent and picky about their friends and do not celebrate new house buying or any other event which may give a bargaining edge to customers or competitors.
Yours is the right advice. Too many people work themselves to the bone for peanuts or they waste valuable energy boot licking in the hopes of a few more bread crumbs.
Claim all of your victories loud and proud. Don’t complain. Only offer solutions. Listen more than you talk. Talk only when it matters. Lastly, don’t get caught up with right or wrong decisions. Make a choice and MAKE it the right choice.
I don’t understand the last part about getting caught up in right or wrong but ultimately making a choice the right choice. Could you elaborate? I’m not getting this part.
@@foodiusmaximus David got carried away trying to write something profound and inspiring and in the process forgot to make sense. Here's my advice, be like David. As long as you believe in your BS no matter how little sense it makes others will believe in it too. Act like you always have the answers and if you dun goof, act like it's not a big deal, shrug it off.
In fact this happened to me. I worked with IT basically focused on implementation. And I saw some colleagues get promoted ahead of me, and with half my technical ability, some were complete idiots. However, they communicated better, while I was almost a caveman when it came to communication, my co-workers really knew who and what to talk to. Communication was my Achilles tendon and I agree 100% with this video. I would say I could earn 3x more if I improved my communication.
Those who can't/ have limited implementation skills especially to solve technical or even complex technical problems, need another route to climb or shine, so they use their mouth/ communication as their tool. Some of them even bordering as bullies. But they do get ahead. It's not a great feeling from my perspective, unfortunately in the workplace, it's a skill to get ahead fast. If you have great technical skills, you just need a fraction/ half of their communication skill and you'd fly
Jump ship every three years. You'll do better that way than staying with the same company for 15 or 20 years with annual bumps. If you stay, HR marks you as "unlikely to leave" and they don't have to do much for you with annual raises. There is ZERO loyalty in 2023. You have to think of yourself as a one man company.
Truly excellent. One of the best videos I have seen on career progression. Implementation Skills (Organizational skills) -> Unification Skills (persuasion/negotiating skills) -> Communication Skills (Leadership skills). This is the message, I spend all my time covering with my team, to explain career progression and he skills to develop in each area.
Experience is a threat to your direct supervisor, team leader or sometimes manager, and they'll often bad mouth you and hold you back, so by default the less experienced end up being the only option.
I second this. It comes down to who you know. I’ve see many industries, hired a new hired and have that person trained them to be their boss. The end of the day, they are good friends/relatives with the hiring manager/upper managers.
I am 46, a software engineer, a mother and a wife. Work for the biggest national Telecom company for the last 15 years. Turn off 2 promotions as I don’t see how I can cope with more overtime. Most of my co-worker at my age has a senior manager or director position. But I also realize that more than half of my co-worker are divorced. Not surprising considering the high level of responsibility and stress. During covid, i decided to switch for the public sector but still in my field of expertise. I was able to leverage my past 20 years of experience in the private sector and just after a year, I get promoted. I had a way better work-family life balance than before, better retirement plan, stability and a better salary. Unfortunately, loyalty doesn’t pay from what I learn.
I'm almost 60 and learned no one gives a sh t! That's why nothing holds value. My advice is to get your hands on a lot of money and help the community where it needs. Everyone is trying to screw you out of it.
One of the pieces of advice my mother gave, that I didn't fully understand until I was well into my twenties... "You not only have to be it, but also look like it". You must be good with your craft but also you gotta make sure others notice it too.
I have been fortunate throughout my life to be promoted at a very rapid rate. Now I am 62 (time catches up with all of us). Reflecting on my experiences, I agree that high level communication skills have been essential differentiators throughout my life and career. It is also important to understand that communication means being a skilled listener as well as a compelling speaker. Often my "trick" is to say what needs to be said when others are reluctant to say it. This doesn't mean being arrogant or offensive. It means being thoughtful, knowlegeable and intellectually courageous. P.S. In my mid 30s I considered going back to school for an MBA to add to my BS in Electrical Engineering. The promo materials for UT Austin's MBA program it said they would prepare me for an effective career in management. I put the literature down then and there. I already had created a career in management for myself. Why spend time and money getting ready to do what I was already doing?
yea but like.. i thought that an MBA was an entirely different field of study than your engineering degree in which they showed you accounting or finance.. or you just knew that stuff without school..
@@demonwaterdemonwater4993 I changed majors a twic during my undergrad and along the way picked up introductory accounting, economics and business classes. Only three "business" classes, and they didn't "count" towards my degree. But, it was enough for me to learn the rest on-the-job without going back to school for another formal degree. Formal schooling isn't the only way to learn, which is kind of a subset of the "education is the answer lie" Dr. Lee spoke about.
May ask what field you advanced in? My nephew has BS in electrical engineering as well … early in career and struggling with route to advancement… Thanks in advance…
@@nonamuss9991 My advice after being in the industry for 20+ years is that MBA definitely helps in the long run but best to do while doing a job to get professional experience (management degree either online or part time like Stanton uni course)
We are told that if we do not have education we cannot get into the door. I've learned to just leave these organizations alone and start my own and sit at the communication level. I've seen folks advance pass me with only implementation skills. They lack communication skill. They are only favored because they are the owner’s friend or family. Nepotism.
I was once told by a member of the management team that I was never going to get promoted unless , I played the game . I have no intentions to play anyone’s game. I have ethics, morals , and standards . I have been in management positions without the need to sacrifice my soul for a title/position . Every promotion was earned not given or stolen 🤓 and that’s priceless.
The famous play, 'Death of a Salesman', it does a great job showing you that experience doesn't always get you to the top. It takes a lot more, unless you're really lucky. It takes courage and taking opportunities and standing up for yourself and I would add: prayer too.
All good advice. I retired after two decades in C level positions and would add one more criteria in the selection process and that is trust. If you can't be trusted you will never get ahead and the further up the ladder you aspire to the greater the trust required. This can result in deep friendships and you carry one another along from company to company in many cases. (Or at least provide solid referrals) Networks are built on relationships and relationships are based on trust. I would also add one more skill which you alluded to and that is the ability to hire people who are the best at what they do. This cannot be understated.
In my experience, as a hard worker and office staff that considered me valuable. I never moved up the ladder even if I applied. The people I was told to train for higher positions were given the positions. So when I decided to set my boundaries and ask for payment to train their employees, the working environment changed. It becomes toxic. I've learned over the years that really GOOD AND EXCELLENT managers are hard to find and almost extinct. Good management is able to pull out their employees potential, not harass, humiliate, or oppress them because they feel threatened. Communication is great too find out what decision you need to make. Sadly, it's hard to find a positron with good management skills and as an effective communicator that practices mindfulness to resolve conflict not gaslight you into believing you're the problem.
Thank you so much. It is true that good and excellent managers are very very very hard to find. I hate the fact that people just think, oh sure, you suck at what you do is totally fine. That is totally fine but as long you communicate well that will help the team. Nope. The real manager protect you. Make sure you can do your job without being interfering by other teams. Make sure that you get the benefit and recognition you want. So far in my life, none of my managers did that. I heard a one or two friends...their manager might be good but always get let go because they stand their ground for their team....
After spending 30 years in the IT industry, I have observed that implementors typically do the bulk of the work, while managers and directors often have little technical knowledge but rely on implementors to get the job done. Unfortunately, some managers are not effective communicators, and may have landed their positions through impressive BS skills rather than actual qualifications. Throughout my career, I have worked under some truly awful bosses, and have found that even as a manager myself, I still must address the problems of those under me in order to motivate and lead them effectively. One positive aspect of being a doer in the industry is that job stability is often greater than for those in management roles, as I have seen many bosses and managers come and go. However, to increase one's earning potential in the industry, it may be necessary to move around and seek new opportunities. Currently, as a Senior Analyst, I am ten times more efficient and knowledgeable than many of my colleagues, but sometimes the stress associated with higher-level positions is not worth the compensation. Ultimately, if a company does not value its employees, it is best to seek employment elsewhere and ensure that the new position offers better compensation and benefits.
The worst manager in IT that you could have is the manager that was not a senior engineer or tech lead or has very minimal or no technical know-how. That's when bureaucracy sky-rockets super fast.
While communication is an essential component, there are other factors as crucial: - Above all: It's who you know, less what you know. Networking and nepotism are alive and well. - The faster the company grows, the higher your chances of advancing and getting promoted. - Technical skills and managerial skills are very different, and good technologists may be bad managers and the other way around. Make sure you have the skills needed for the next level. - The higher up, the more your job shifts from technical to managerial to strategic and visionary.
Exactly! I have been in the workforce for many years, people who are able to communicate climb fastest even though they are not that good. Networking is also one thing to maintain the visibility and when it comes to promotion, management knows who you are.
"If you are a hard-working, honest person with integrity, you need to let that go. Look up narcissistic personality styles and emulate their behavior, and then you will reach higher levels of success. Stop paying so much much attention to the context of the research and necessary workflow for whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, and shift your focus on observing the behavior of your superiors and figuring out things that feed their ego with the supply they love. Congratulations, you are finally on your way to American success!"
Of what I've seen over my 41 years in the work force is salesmanship. In the past, it was having knowledge and experience. Today if you sound and act like you know what you are doing, you stand out. You have to show motivation even if you make mistakes. You don't necessarily have to have the knowledge or experience but can sell yourself. Oh, a good reference is a car salesperson.
3rd Level: Communication 2nd Level: Unification 1st Level: Implementation 2 Mistakes that lead to Churn & Burn: 1) Get more education 2) Work harder Thanks for the insight!
Not everyone wants to get into management. In many industries experienced implementors/experts are highly valued and well-paid and have better job satisfaction and work-life balance than managers. And in today's world a lot of people are promoted too quickly into management without any proper notion of real-world management.
I agree. Tech is a good example of implementors being highly valued. Sometimes even more highly valued than managers! But I definitely also think an implementor with good communication skills is looked at more favorably than an implementor with poor communications skills. Either way, effective communication can be a game changer
100%. Communication is the single most leadership skill that will propel your career to the next level. Speaking from experience as an introverted manager for a team of 20 attorneys, I learned the hard way, that my accomplishments & technical knowledge were only as “good” as I could communicate them to people who “mattered.” Please don’t feel like just because you are introverted or shy, you automatically fall short compared to your extroverted colleagues. You really don’t. You CAN speak as confidently as you think. Trust me, as someone who knew no English until high school, when I say that confident clear and effective communication is a totally learnable skillset that anyone can acquire with time. Manifest your inner confidence, keep practicing, and eventually, you will start seeing the results that will also serve to validate you with the knowledge that you had it within you all this time.
From my experience most of it is a game. It’s all about who you know and network with. In many organizations a promotion feels like a demotion. I went from hourly and making overtime, to salary and working many hours for free. Most of management is babysitting adults and being upper managements punching bag all day. We’re always understaffed, and working 2 even 3 different job responsibilities. I got burned out and went back down to a lower level, because I made more money, had more peace and work/life balance.
Well said , my company refused giving me promotion , they hired someone with 1/3 of my experience for that role, i'd rather to have better work life balance than managing other people at the same time i'm under psychological pressure , my peers are now head departments and i am in same role as i was 10 years ago
@@user-rx7th9hr4l Do you ever feel bad? Ever? For being in the same role for over a decade? I've been in the same entry level position at multiple companies for over a decade now. About to become a manager in some other company, awaiting results.
Having worked as a lower-level employee in a few well-known technology companies I would also say that the upper-level managers, who think of themselves as good communicators who "get along with everyone', mostly only identify with people from similar circumstances. That is they identify well with a diverse group of people who went to their same university (or a similar one) cheer for their favorite sports team, and have similar recreational activities as educated people on 'their level'. I agree that they are good communicators, or rather, good talkers. They like to talk a lot and come up with ideas (which they think are new but are often not) that they get other people to do, without really understanding the 'how' or 'why'.
The top management folks in my company were bad communicators. To be a good communicator, the first step is to be a good listener. They failed miserably in the very first step. People who communicate only with those who they like = bad communicators. People who look at "what do we have in common?" = Bad communicators. A good communicator has an unbiased mind, and an open mind. Such a person is difficult to come by though they exist in this planet.
I've seen colleagues who were so good at the job they were denied promotions because they couldn't be replaced. They ended up needing to go pursue their career elsewhere. This ended up getting them a 2x salary bump, better benefits etc.
One thing I noticed in the corporate setting is that no matter how flamboyant a person is, with outstanding credentials to boot, if that person does not know how to kiss ass (with managers), the person wouldn’t able to climb the corporate ladder. For the Filipinos here, “panis ‘yang galing mo kung hindi ka marunong sumipsip”.
I had to leave a company for this reason and now im lightyears ahead of where I was when I was in that company. It impacted my self esteem while I was there but that ended as soon as i left. Basically if needs arent being met its time to go. I have a need for growth and expansion and nobody can stop me. I know where the door is 🏃
good for you , my company refused my promotion despite being really happy with my performance instead, they hired someone with 1/3 of my experience , i feel stupid cause i turned down much better job and money 3 month ago, now job market is pretty terrible, i am quitting very soon, without lining up another job, my blood is boiling and can't work with these people anymore... I'm not gonna bother telling them why i am quitting,....
Without implementation there is no product/output. Without output there is little to manage. And when there is nothing to manage there is little to communicate about. The *company value* is at the implementers, the *career success* is at the talkers.
This is the way the world works when it comes to your career.... It's not WHAT you know but WHO you know. This applies to all walks of life regardless of education level. Sad but true.
The name of the game is to wait and see for the opportunity to come, at the same time prepare yourself for the eventuality. Do not stop learning and improving yourself. To have good emotional intelligence and work smart certainly help, great assets.
I’ve been a network engineer for 18 years and love it. Management is not for me, I love being in the mix and fixing things. I like being on-call, implementation of changes and dealing with tier 3 escalations, I work with designers and am constantly learning. I work with new technology every day. I’ve been able to increase my wages purely through persistent learning and qualifications. I’ve only worked in two organisations as I’ve networked at my level and moved roles etc. A lot of growth has also come in my personal life through volunteering, it’s been very rewarding.
It's so true, you want to be good at your job, but not so good, the company can't afford to lose you in that department. It's a very careful balance, but a well managed company will still find ways to reward and promote you.
I learned that not getting promoted is nothing personal. Management are just regular people and will promote who they like better so even if they deny, they can be subjective. I think we just need to accept it and move forward and find a new path. Maybe this current company is not your destiny. For me, I've found better things in life when I took risk and go out in the world and I feel much more fulfilled now than getting promoted tbh. There's more to life than promotion.
@noeme17- you just dropped golden nuggets I picked up years ago because if you don't change your mindset bitterness will slip in and I'm not giving anyone that kind of power over me.
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What an awesome underrated video! ❤ I saw this many times in my feed but was not really baited to click it tbh. The cover looked dull and generic. But oh boy, I was so wrong. Great refreshing content! And especially super on point on the why communicators tend to get promoted over technical experts.
Facts. Super duper on point! Keeping it 100 witcha. Sometimes dey be having zero chill and get big mad cuz you jus keep it pushin.
I don't want to get to the top, I just want to find a job where everyone isn't backstabbing you and playing mind games 24/7
Experience is only as good as its holder.
If it does not solve the problem on hand, it's useless.
Then, you need to factor in higher management and office politics. The cause for mis judgement. The collapse of your organization. Human error.
That's why there always be winners and losers.
Can you slow down? You're smart, but your fast pace tires me out as I try to follow you. ;-)
One thing I have learned is that if they don't like you, it doesn't matter how hard you work. Office politics is toxic.
I have many friends of color who experience this. What's worse: most are more qualified than the majority and bring their A game. Just a waste of talent in many companies.
Been there.
Currently in that situation, just picking on you because you look weak
Exactly!
@@fredrika27 Thank you for acknowledging this. The denial around obvious institutionalized racism is very annoying.
It is hard to get promoted when your boss is less competent and afraid you will outshine them!!!
Short circuit them
😂😂
Aint that the truth
Yes that is true too😂. But the best win-win in this case is pray for them to move on to a more suitable job/department where they feel more secure. 😂😂😂
Nailed it. I've seen this happen so much, especially in the bigger companies I've worked at.
The way I have been able to get promotions is by applying to higher level roles in other companies and accepting those new roles and switching companies. I realized that you have to create your own promotion instead of waiting for someone else to promote you.😊
I've tried that but I seem to be stuck in the same type of roles just different places. I see now it's about networking not effort. I've tested theories. I've done the bare minimum and I've been the worker bee. Neither got me anywhere. What I haven't done is play the corporate game of networking. I'm naturally an introvert and don't particularly enjoy socializing. I believe that's what's held me back. 22 years in the workforce and I been in the same roles for over a decade. I'm tired. I've accepted my fate. My home is about to be paid off, my car is paid off, i have a nest egg and some passive income. I'm comfortable with my income and although I am resentful of how NY "career" has developed, I can accept it and just coast until retirement. I actually consider myself semi retired at age 40. My under developed social skills have held me back my entire life. I have zero desire to address it. But I also accept that I will remain where I am as far as work goes.
yeah, that was my idea too, but the older you get and the more changes you have in your resume, the tougher is then to get a job...
@@alexdreamer6725 Tough is nothing. Its either you want a higher level job with a much better salary or you dont want it. If you do want that then you have to apply for those jobs. You wont get it by doing nothing and saying its tough. If you dont get it then try again. Easy as that. Just keep trying. Apply to many jobs until you get one. It is better to "try and fail", than to " fail to try". When you keep trying you will eventually succeed, but when you dont try and just say its tough, then you get nothing period. So forget tough. Tough is nothing.
@@alexdreamer6725just lop off your last work. If you need help people can rewrite your resume for a couple 100$. Remote jobs have been a BLESSING for older workers. You can take the time to retool yourself. Just like soccer says.
@@soccersprint very well said!
I have been working in corporates for over 20 years. I rarely saw a colleague being promoted by merits but over 90% are based on politics, buddies, interests, friendship, game player…etc
Is true.. because this top people protect themselves by protecting each other. That is why this. World is going backwards...
See lokr talking rubbish is more important than skill. Capitalism is great..
Friends and family promote first. It's not what you know or how hard you work. It's who you know.
thats why i got out...did my own thing
Cronism is a big one here. Or brown noser.
Big mistake I made was becoming the go-to-guy fixing everyone's problem in the department. Thought I was a baddy having everyone coming to me for help. Mistake. They got promoted for finishing their projects. In contrast, all I received was verbal gratitude for keeping the department afloat. Strange how that works.
Catch 22, be good at your job and don't get rewarded. Be bad at your job and be let go.
Use the skills you earned to leverage a better position in a different location, or different company altogether. Vote with your feet. Don't fall for the "it is what it is" BS. Stay on the lookout for opportunities, and act when you narrow down on exactly what you would want, and just go for it.
Just FYI, they did not get promoted for finishing their job….they got promoted for getting people to work….that would include you. That’s leadership qualities. You didn’t do that, you did all the work yourself. You are a worker, a helper, not a leader. Now, while you were doing all their work, how many other people did they get to do other work for them? See what I mean?
And if he didn't do the work they go and complain to his boss. So not really leadership skills. @@susanpeterson8103
Exactly, you should have backstub them instead of helping them.
I do agree in principle, but the reality is a lot of promotions are based on nepotism and being part of the inner circle etc , positions are literally held for these people. Communication is great, but it's meaningless if the boss is not interested in promoting you.
That's why you need to COMMUNICATE how you can add more value, not the value you want to give the value your boss is seeking.
@@RaySchwarz. Did you read my comments? Read it again because you lack comprehension skills.
This is why you need to gain their trust, they need to see you as a partner not a threat, they want to know you add value and will make them look good.. They also like to know you know and understand the politics that affects them, and eventually you. When you have achieved all this then you may be highly considered to sit at their table.
Social skills and ability to create links are important skills. I would rather promote my girlfriend over everyone else if it is feasible and won’t cause great harm.
Most of my jobs & working career, all of my mgt. & upper mgt. (to include HR) were absolutely horrible communicators who were liars, abused employees, power hungry Narcissists, cheaters, drug abusers, wife beaters, ex convicts, & scammers who pushed many employees into therapy w/only 2 employee suicides, thankfully. They were demotivating & couldn't be trusted w/super high employee turnover rates under their belts. But, they were often fast- tracked through the system. So, I can see where they're valued.
In my work experiences, promotions are given to people who demonstrate strong leadership qualities, and yes, favoritism. The hard, reliable workers, are kept there and taken advantage of by everyone else who doesn’t want to do the work, and are sometimes even passed over for promotions because the leadership wants to keep that employee in that position to continue doing the work they’re reliable for.
That's exactly where I'm at as a hard reliable worker.
I’m am stuck right there and like fool I just keep cranking it out. The programming to not say “no” is so ingrained in my brain. It takes an enormous amount of energy to keep fighting for reasonable turnaround time.
@@momlikesmemore : I understand. I struggle with saying “No” a lot too, mainly because of the fear of being fired for refusing work. Also, my workplace is so shorthanded, none of us can really say “No,” unless we want the whole place to shut down and none of us have jobs to go to.
And sadly, narcissism and psychopathy often masquerade very well as leadership qualities.
i guess this would ruin the entity. see what us happening in homeelectronic giants like panasonic or toshiba.
If you're an introvert it's difficult, especially in the long term, to out-communicate an extrovert. Typically the route to promotion as an introvert is by moving to another company, who will typically judge you based on your experience and what you can demonstrate in an interview. Treat yourself as your own entity, make your own promotion.
You could also stop being an introvert
@@matthewlittler8387 We could act like someone else, yes. We can all pretend to be something we aren't, but eventually it gets tiring.
@@carls-95yes, it's energy consuming
And often this is a problem to even get hired
Yep, life penalizes introverts and the world isn't going to change. Job hopping to get the promo every 2-3 years is probably the best bet.
I am degreed, experienced, professional, and friendly, but the reality is the only thing that matters is WHO YOU KNOW, WHO YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH, WHO YOU ARE RELATED TO, AND WHO YOU ARE SLEEPING WITH.
Facts!!!!
Corrupted society.. in long run society will go down. Corruption causes disorganize cheotic society then no development. Higher the corruption will keep go down to be underdevelopment.
It's NOT. For most people it's about switching jobs when they get stuck. Have you gotten the necessary experience? Then move on to the next level. This can be very hard to do within the company, so you better find a new place to work. It often comes with a high salary increase too
YES!
@@lollsazzit is. If it isn't, then why is it hard to do within the same company?
Not some, not half, but EVERYONE I know who has moved up the corporate ladder has told me that the key is relationships. Promotions are 20% technical (know your job) and 80% social (how well you get along with people). People promote people they like. The ability to bond with people will get you promoted. Remember, there is no exam that gets you promoted. People get promoted when someone approves the promotion.
ASS KISSING is the #1 promotion skill that gets less qualified promoted.
As an Tech Analyst with my DJ business, I told myself a long time ago that I would NEVER give corporate 100% of me again. I have no interest in climbing the corporate ladder and the politics with it. I do my job, have my pay, benefits, and pension while running my own dream in this moment of time. And im thankful for it.
Nope, not true at all. To survive and thrive in cutthroat business environment, every business needs and goes after the best talent they can attract to train and develop their future leadership. Say if nepotism and ass kissing got everyone to the top positions, then what's going to happen when those same not-fit-for-job ass kissers aren't able to deliver? Business won't survive.
@@dn30001 i wish i can see you and give you a hug
@@calebadeleye I hug LOTS of my clients when I DJ thier weddings. I'm so hugged out bro lol
As a Mechanical Engineer, a Minority with a Masters Degree, multiple certifications, and who speaks extremely well (I run a TH-cam channel and regularly speak at church) I got tired of Being passed over for promotions by incompetent coworkers that viewed me as a threat, so I simply started applying for promotions at other rival companies every 3 years and I’ve gotten a significant pay bump and promotion every time.
You have to take your career in your own hands , especially if you don’t loook like the C-Suite
I'm also a mechanical engineer, I agree. What truly matters is having a mechanical engineer mindset combine this with a sales skill, communication skills, you can truly outshine anyone in a corporate stage. But leadership roles are rare in an organization
Jump ship every three years. After 15 years you'll be doing much better salary wise than if you had stayed at one shop for 15 years.
@@stevechance150
💯
When I go back to my old racist good ol boy coworkers that stayed at the same company and tell them I make $120,000+ more than them their faces turn cherry Red
Corporate Amerrica is a Joke
@@flashmedia8953
Agreed , and then I tell all Engineers that after a while go start your own company and work for yourself
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I have a bachelors degree in IT and nine years of experience, and I can tell you communication is the most important thing. If you are an introverted person you’ll go nowhere no matter what is your degree and how much experience you have. This world belongs to the extroverted people, people that have communication skills.
Oh no 😢 I am so doomed 😂😂😂
Where I work introverts get promoted as well (IT). It's usually not management positions, but let's be real: no strongly introverted person wants to lead a dozen persons.
@@bruderbrot5268 true thoo I'd never want to be a manager
Unfortunately many people who are deeply interested in tech are introverts ...
@@xys007 I totally agree
This is where it gets frustrating as an introverted person. In society, our efforts and contributions go unnoticed. I’ve dealt with this in corporate America and even left a company for it. It’s like the loud extroverted kid in class that gets rewarded for answering questions right when really he just repeat what you said but said it louder for recognition. It’s hard for me to respect leadership that leads with their emotions and not based on results and data. That’s how most corporate leaders are unfortunately. I just need to start my own company.
Best luck
Yes, as an introvert, I feel stuck all the time. I guess my life is kinda done 😢
You are doing the right thing by starting your own company.
Yes, forced entrepreneurship. Not everybody is loud and needs to be seen at all times.
Introvert + working class education. I only watch videos like this out of a morbid curiosity of how those that go up the ladder might think. The solution is to try to find a manager who's only slightly less introverted than you in an organisation that has a spectrum of introversion right up to the least introverted people (e.g. Donald Trump). Business founders and the unemployed are the only people who don't sit in this people equation.
I am a health worker worker with 24 years experience in my field. I’ve been with the same company for a little over 11 years. Recently a supervisor position became available and one of my coworkers with the same years of experience applied for the position and was turned down. The position was given a someone I trained, he started with the company less than a year ago and this is his FIRST JOB as a health care worker. So here’s someone a 25 year old, remember I’ve been doing this for 24 years, and 11+ years with the company and a higher degree . He was given the position and is currently earning more money than my coworker who applied for the position as well as myself. Although I did not apply for the position it made me realize that it is time to move on. The long hours at the hospital is taking a toll on me, I am hoping to get a job working from home and with better pay.
I hear your pain. Diesel mechanic of 23 years. Been promised supervisor positions x3 times over 3 different jobs. Left each time. Realized I worked to hard and am a master at my job. My current job. My 29 year old coworker. Who was on his phone half the day. But everyone loved him. He got promoted last supervisor to manager in training. My manager would tell me I am kicking butt and should try for lead etc. I told him no thanks. It sucks being 48 and just a senior tech. Most managers are late 30s. I do my job well but go home.
Why does it bother you? You have the experience to take your skills anywhere. He probably had something you don't or is friends with the hiring managers, maybe they want a fresh perspective. Take your qualifications elsewhere as a supervisor
Report it to your state employment fair or discrimination department; it sounds like possible implicit bias and/or unfair practices
Spent 5 years in a company and saw the same type of situation happening, that's when I've realised my skills and experiences could be better used somewhere else and i could get more rest.
@@arbitrarylib When companies do this, they will lose long-term workers. Cmpanies with employee retention are destined to fail
Networking is very important, and working under right boss is another factor. If your boss goes up on the ladder and you are his trustworthy implementer the more chances you have to grow
I appreciate you sharing this, Sajin.
I experienced this myself.
Fact can’t work for a hater who do not value u and jealous of how well you are liked and the great work u do
true, if you are too lazy to network, at least try to find one good boss
I know of several cases where people moved up just because of this.
Having been in this situation myself. My advice for anyone that is intelligent and has valuable skills is to start your own business based on something you love and be successful because you can make it. It's about mindset. In the past before I valued myself, I didn't think that I could do it but I am moving upwards and I am focusing on being my own boss. Don't tolerate what doesn't serve you, move on and be the best!
I taught business managers from all over the world for nearly 30 years. Out of the hundreds I taught no more than a handful impressed me as being more than mediocre or even pretty bad. A large number of them were toxic individuals and many were petty-minded. Only a handful showed true leadership and management skills. The truth is that people get ahead for the wrong reasons. They are selected for being bossy self-promoters or yes-men, though it helps to be tall if you're a man and good-looking if you're a woman. Psychopaths are grossly over-represented in management (a little internet search will give you the evidence for this). Companies would probably be best advised to select managers randomly - perhaps even giving people management positions on rotation.
The last MNC i worked for used to do this routinely. Shifting managers around and not letting a manager sit in one position long enough to have favourites and cliques. It only worked partially but was at least good in that you did not get stuck with an absolute psycho or dead-beat manager for more than 6 months. Most reasonably able workers were able to "weather the storm " of bad management and make progress when a reasonable manager was installed.
In modern companies the culture is vitally important to understand and work within. The harder you work the less effective you will be in any tasks you are measured on. It is better to excel in a limited number of tasks than be mediocre or make mistakes in a large number of tasks. Most sensible managers will understand that each worker has limitations in what they can output. Some psycho users do not want to understand.
"perhaps even giving people management positions on rotation." -This should be done throughout our society, those who meet a minimum of competency are rotated into and out of govt and public roles . EVERYONE with enough mental horsepower, gets to participate in government, no more election BS, term limits by default, and everyone has a stake in the process and outcome.
Well said!
@@Akcd11r2002 I first came across this idea in The Economist, which shared my pessimistic view of the people who get to be managers.
Awesome observation! I can count on 1 hand with over 50 jobs. Real managers great at there role
You can become a victim of your own success. As a highly competent worker you will get asked to do more and more to the point that it negatively effects your health. Don't let this happen to you. The company will happily burn you out and dump you for another candidate who's a diligent worker and do the same to them. Balance is very important.
Absolute truth
💯 and it’s especially true in careers where there are personal shortages.
Ah that's were you wrong. Work smarter not harder.
Find job at other company. Know your worth. Like you said, balance is key
Omg so true . Other thing I have learnt is don’t do too much if the title you are in is not aligned with the role . The managers happily overwork you
Sometimes you don't move up because you showed you are really good at the job, so they keep you in that position because they know those tasks will get done. They are too lazy to find someone else to replace that job position if they promote you. Also sometimes they are intimidated by your potential, so they purposely keep you away from those at the top.
That's my problem. I always end up being seen as a threat by management. But then I work hard and do things right. I learn fast and work quiet efficiently. I also carry a very strong management aura. I left my last job because someone got promoted who had no business being in management and all they ended up doing was causing problems. I was not going to work in a place like that. Then you have all the places that won't hire a manager if they don't have prior management experience with at least 2 or more yrs. But then how can you get that if you're not ever promoted to that position.
That was my problem, OP. I was given the "You're too valuable in the role you're in" speech, though they made concerted efforts to not say it so on-the-nose. As well as the intimidation factor inasmuch as they were intimidated by the fact that they knew if they let me off the chain, not only would I thrive and excel but I would advance past them in short order.
It's about power and control. They want to keep you down. They want to keep you in a controlled sandbox. If you have ANY real potential to surpass them by advancing, they'll make sure you never do.
Right! They ended up hiring so many people above my rank even.. due to crises. And then when they finally increase the headcount. We end up having to compete so much more. It sucks!
0:40 i although agree with you
Well said. Exactly happened to me in the past. I realized it. I quit and found a better place.
Because of favoritism. They only promoted people close to their heart. Not because of their skills
😂😂😂 And alot of rear end kissing as well..Yeah favoristims is the number one reason why good workers dont get promoted or appreciated. 😂😂
I recognise these stages 100%.
Was stuck in a highly skilled technical role for about 20 years. I remember a boss once telling me “don’t be too good at what you do or no one will promote you”🤷🏼♂️. I thought that was very strange 😂. However, I broke into management by simply volunteering to manage projects (with the bare minimum of qualifications to do so😉), by networking my socks off, BS-ing my socks off (fake it til you make it 🤫) and learning to talk the hind legs off a donkey on management subjects I hadn’t a clue about… but hey, I had good grammatical skills so the BS sounded convincing 😂 … long story short… I quadrupled my salary in 5 years… true story
Sad story actually.
@@christophdenner8878 not really. Not all people want to lead. I have worked in the IT industry for 22 years and never been promoted. They tried once I resigned 😅 and switch to a different part of the organization. You think boss are powerful? Nah... you just are not good to position your power as part of the rank and file. And salary is totally your control which is totally your control. Just dont take a salary you dont like. Specialize in a core skill that earns good salary. And the good thing about not being a boss is that you are not a slave to the boss above them. Trust me, they are grunt workers too in a documentation and taking BS sort of way. Maybe this is just engineering type of projects 😂. Our industry is still meritocracy
I've tried the volunteering to do more part. Employers have never shied away from giving me more responsibility, but they gave the title and the money to others.
Now this, is a value added comment. Instead of simply describing three levels of value you are explaining how to break out of the rut.
TLDR: The key to success and getting ahead is MANIPULATION.
I agree somewhat, many promotions come from inside connections, relationships like related family, or kissing to the bosses.
I guess kissing your boss' ass counts as "being good at communication"
@@randaramana109 No, those who kiss their bosses are idiots with low self-esteem.
Called: Nepotism, I think........
@@ChristopherHudetz Yes, nepotism, or a yes person that just kisses up to the boss.
I got promoted and dont kiss up to anyone or have any deep connections. I come in, do my work, cordial and i go about my business. No gossip, no drama, just respectful as long as you respect me.
Im no longer with that company and I got a better position with a prefix on my job title (for the same work, and almost doubled my pay). Again, no special connections.
0:50 lowest level of value: implementation of work - disclipined, reliable, and focused. Keeps your job but does not get you promoted.
2:36 second level of value: unification of work of others - managing people, projects, policies.
6:14 highest level of value: communication as it pertains to leadership - communicating effectively and authentically to generate charisma, trust, and inspiration.
Thanks TL:DW guy
It's about race.
BS. Implementors provide all the value (and actual leadership in effect). The rest are parasites.
That’s an excellent summary.
@@bonchidude No, it’s not. YOU’RE making it about race. You sound just as silly as those who say it’s about gender, appearance, politics, or any of the other things that are NOT actually holding people back. If you keep making it about race, you’ll never get the promotion unless you threaten to sue your employer for discrimination. And even then, once you get the job, it will all circulate through the rumour mill in your workplace that you just got the job because of your race, and no one will truly respect you.
In the institute where I earned my MBA, the most important factor for getting higher grades is class participation in the discussion of the topic at hand. It is where you display your verbal communication ability - from explaining the analysis of the problem you perceive, to presenting your proposed solutions. Then defending your analysis and solutions to your classmates who are just too glad to shoot down your ideas to prove to the professor that they know better. That's how I learned to be a better communicator than my former relatively shy self. I was practically "forced" into it to avoid a failing grade! Looking back now at how fast and how high I rose in my career after I got my MBA, I fully agree that great communication - verbal and written - is the most significant factor for such.
Make sure you want to become a manager in the first place.
Nothing wrong with being a highly skilled implementer: you're the guy who keeps everything working.
Just make sure you're getting compensated for your skills, and if you aren't, start looking elsewhere.
A company that pays handsomely its managers, but not its superstar workers is not one you want to be in.
Those companies don’t last, unless they are involved with Government.
I worked for a company that had more managers than execs. Literally 20 managers were sharing the same 10 execs across departments. I was hired at an exec level but my actual job scope was closer to the de facto marketing manager (while also being an exec and sometimes doing intern level work) because the actual marketing manager had no marketing experience. But I couldn't be promoted because 'I was too important in my role', so they'd earmark new joiners and add them to the managerial pool without hiring any more execs. It was beyond ridiculous to say the least.
That's exactly what I've been wrestling with... what if I love doing instead of overseeing others do. As you say that superstar working should be getting well compensated... if not then find a place that will 😅
imagine working for a place that has more middle management than actual skilled workers, in an industry that is completely based on a skilled trade, its a joke 🤣
This is my problem too. I have no interest in managing people and having to worry about whether or not they're doing their work well. I would just rather be my own worker and do my work well, but unfortunately this mentality is not rewarded in the corporate workplace. dpDoes anyone know what might be a better situation to go to where people like us are appreciated?
I live in Italy and I can tell you that nepotism and favoritism are extremely common in my country when hiring, firing and/or giving a promotion at the workplace. Sometimes, these cultural trait are not limited to a single company: they are national and they have negative consequences on the overall economy since non-deserving people get what they don't deserve at all.
It’s the same in Australia too mate - it’s never about what you can do or know, but about _who_ you know
It's human nature, not nationality related.
@@masterexploder9668 Correct, but actually, when it becomes a common cultural trait, it almost becomes national. There are only a few exceptions. This is so frustrating
I read years ago, that Itanlian aristocrats were promoted in my field of geological research but did little work. They simply had staff that did all the work. The well-born connected aristocrats walked into positions that they had not earned.
Same here in Canada and also USA and UK
Completely agree with her. Work harder and education can lead you to a stuck point. Being visible and talk at the right time in front of the right ppl is the key. Great video
Great takeaway! I appreciate you sharing.
The talker takes the credit of the doers. lols
@@phajeb001 Welcome to the real world. Unfortunately.
And that's why we Europeans are suffering so much in US corporations. This is a clash of value systems. Europeans tend to believe in hard work and dedication. Americans believe in having your mouth open all the time.
Yep - if you communicate and dont deliver
In this age it's not WHAT u know, it's WHO u know
It’s also whether you share the worldview and philosophy of your organization
"The only reward for hard work is more work" - At my previous company, I was very focused on the implementation side, and became so proficient at what I did, that it sealed my fate. Although I built a great team out of my department, trained them, and led them, I was never promoted. My company instead brought in less experienced or inexperienced people and placed them in positions of authority over me, disregarding my years of experience, to keep me doing more of the same.
They were threatened by your work , so they bring people in who are less experienced then them , people underestimate ,how insecure those upper management people , I'm learning sometimes it better to play dumb but be smart .
When I was in the military I quickly learned that is not about what you know but who you know, and the higher you go in rank the more important it is. It's no different in any other organization.
It's no different in corporate. Favoritism and nepotism runs things.
200% agreed
Strange, but in literature it's the same. 80% networking and place of residence.
I have worked both private and public sector, and in both it has always been who you know not what you know.
It is not what you know, it is not who you know - It is who knows you!
Fake it till you make it, confidence is everything. Communicating without making mistakes is vital.
Fake people are like some I know
thats how i became data analyst
This is a travesty, sadly.
It doesn’t always work, you will be stuck one day
Favoritism is rampant! For reasons like: gossiping, bribing ,news carrying etc which takes the place of efficiency, loyalty and real genuine people.. im sick to my stomach of this..really good employees get stuck in a rut while deceitful ones climb the ladder..
sadly this is true. its all about empty communication. in my experience people who can talk are the ones who climb up the ladder. Gone are the days when education and experience were crucial.
You can talk the talk but are you going to walk the walk?
That said you have to be capable to communicate effectively, that includes to know how to listen.
@@dilsiam learning to know how to listen to the right person and not the wrong person
Playing golf with the boss gets promotions at my office.
It's not about empty communication. It's just communication. Your CEO doesn't do the handywork, but that doesn't mean he doesn't do anything. The higher up you go, It's all about soft skills that enable a company to network with the rest of the market and relay products and services from its suppliers to its customers. Think about your computers operating system. It doesn't know how to perform static analysis on a skyscraper or calculate a fluid simulation. It just manages memory, monitor, external devices and so on to enable the applications to do their job. Same with a CEO. He is the front face of the company, he can't irritate people, mess up his priorities or lock up in the face of trouble. It's not easy, and most people aren't smooth enough for it. It's not unfair. It's just how it works.
@@MrSaemichlaus A smooth figurehead that keeps his cool. got it. will have A.I. go create one in a cpl years.
In my opinion, high performers with the high expertise is the core of the company. Company with the mindset of putting expertise as low level while promoting less skilled people leads to conflict situations what can result in experts leaving the company, and if company loses their experts, then good luck moving forward 😀
This is very true.
"while promoting less skilled people"
It's not a question of skill quantity so much as skill type. An engineering manager doesn't need to be a better engineer. An engineering manager needs to be better at managing engineers. They're different skills.
@@wisenber technical managers who lack an understanding of project scope and necessary work lead to disasters. Ive seen it so many times where people with no technical expertise get promoted to senior technical management and at best add no value, at worst destroy departments. No, you want someone with a strong technical background.
You commented before watching the whole video.
Wisenber and kodejam are both correct...
Speaking from experience here...
I work in an IT startup and the founder made one of his relatives, manager of a department he had no subject knowledge of.
This guy had a history of burning down three busnisses already and worse has an arrogance of 'i know enough' and ' u dont need to know technical, just know how to manage'.
Our dept. Relies on getting offshore projects and for 4 years he has been able to get 0.
He keeps applying for projects that dont align with our resources, he hires incompetent workers, does not understand client requirements and pathetically relies on one team lead to interpret team dyanamics(who uses him to get his own incompetent friends and relatives hired, get better pay while doing no job)...
Result=0 revenue, employees regularly leave, when they dont he makes their lives hell with his toxicity, and in the end blame the hardworking employees to deny them much earnt promotions.
On the other hand i dont think any mid exp level techie could have done any better either. They cant get enough opportunities from their pitiable networks, and are too scared to do anything other than code on their laptops.
There's a misconception that promotions are earned. Like if you work hard you are rewarded with a promotion. This is usually not the case. There's an even bigger argument to keep you where you are. If you are a highly skilled software engineer, that may not necessarily mean you are good at managing software engineers. And my experience, the more talented you are at the craft, the more likely you will make a poor manager. Doctors are an excellent example of this phenomenon.
Disagree 100%. Many professionals, including software engineers and doctors, would be excellent people managers. In contrast, many actual managers are unethical and got their positions by being dishonest. Many managers are promoted for offering quick easy quick solutions, all the time knowing that they don't have the easy solutions, and lying to get promoted. The world would be a much better place if we promoted based on merit, and not based on demagoguery.
Ah well. Time to put the hand brake on and concentrate on playing politics.
Good speakers are good bullshitters too. I've seen this in the military and corporate world.
Looks like you are repeating the Peter Principle. LOL.
Good cook =/= good stall owner.
"Working Harder will never get you what you want" is the best thing anyone ever told me.
Narcists get promoted in the organisations and staff members are encouraged to understand them and give them whatever they want because they they will throw tentrums if they don't get what they demand.
Couldn’t agree more. Literally experiencing a situation like this right now.
wow this is so so realistic
Going through this right now. It’s exhausting.
And no one sees though it
if you want a promotion and you think you have the skills apply for job outside the company. keep doing this till you get a offer now go to your employer tell them to give you a promotion if not leave .now keep doing this until you are where you want to be. there you go I just saved you all 10 minutes!
To anyone who feels like they are the relaible worker who gets nowhere. Try slowley working on you communications skills and continue doing the hardwork you do after a little time CHANGE JOBS. This is a tough one for a lot of people. No matter how well you become at communicating, it is very hard to change the opinions of people you've worked with already. User your current job as trainging for youself! move on and re DISCOVER yourself!
NO! Get another job elsewhere
I do that. I change jobs. But I wish I could find a place where I can stay and do a good job and not get burned out. I don’t necessarily want to be promoted. I don’t want to be a leader. I am good at what I do. I want to be valued and appreciated for what I do. I don’t wish to complicate my life by being a manager. But it always come down to, be more assertive, be more independent, and find opportunities to lead.
@@maritzaozepy1903me either! Can i just celebrate the personal wins i have for myself, do my job wonderfully? Im not interested making a job my life or the stress that comes with it.
I totally agree with you.
Thanks for this.
She hit it! I came to this conclusion from observation years ago. "They talk really well". In my experience, the best talkers are the biggest bull-shitters because they can leverage their charisma and talk out of their a$$ with just no real content or even worse, false content.
😂 no wonder you can't rise to the top. Because that's how you believe 😂😂😂
@@flashmedia8953🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫
@@flashmedia8953 nope, I skipped the "top" all together.
How do you know he didn't implement that and got to the top too?
True to that BS acting and relationship is the most important for promotion. It is not what you know but who you know
My supervisor is a clear example that it is not the skills that get you there: if he AT LEAST had the leadership skills. But it is not the case. What he got is connections, dressing very well and speaking softly and diplomatically. But he’s the prime example of someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing and unprofessional behavior.
That probably happens a lot in large companies!! It has happened to me so many times when I worked at a medical school as a professor (merit does not really count there)!!! The least competent there is the one promoted mainly because they work less and thus have more time to be brownnosing the bosses!!! When I realized this, I quit that job.
I am now working for myself in my small business as a doctor and I get to enjoy the benefits of my efforts. I really appreciate my good employees. I have seen so many small businesses go down the tubes precisely because they did not value the employees that got things done and when the good employees get tired of not being appreciated, they go somewhere else, thus the businesses fail!!!!
I was passed for promotion although I deserved it by some lazy moron because he spent all his energy in networking. I immediately quit.
Unfortunately and sadly, very true.
Being your own boss sounds so appealing in light of this rat-race bs!!
I know someone horrible who i think must have jumped two levels in very short time by just bullying and threatening their management. It's my theory. Was nice when this person was promoted out of my daily life 😂
So true. It’s not about education or implementation, it’s about nepotism and favoritism. If you were not willing to submit or be passive to the bosses, forget about promoting. This is so disheartening and devaluing.
Why be so negative. You can always apply for a higher position with a different employer.
There is plenty of free info on the internet also on how to be a better manager/supervisor.
Careful what you wish for too. It can be rewarding and challenging.
Then again if it isn’t all that difficult then how would it be rewarding.
Nothing negative about what you've said. Cold hard facts. Moving to another company is a temporary fix however. In other words wherever you go there you are..not doing any personal improvement on how you interact with people will yield the same old results. The other side of the coin is fighting the hive mind which drives today's organizations. They all do the same things the same way, which means you really have to decide what you want from these people besides a paycheck.
@@f430ferrari5 Because it is not about a specific company, it's about the system. You are caught in the rat race, it's all a lie, doesn't matter where you go or what you do.
Nepotism and favoritism is the epitome of your communication skills.
@@p.1019 more complaining. 😂🤣
So what are you going to do? Be a professional thief and robber? The mindset of a criminal. Victim mentality.
I have a Ferrari. You obviously don’t. 👍
Sometimes you have to climb sideways to another ladder (a k.a. switch companies) to advance rather than trying to climb up that single corporate ladder
Literally crying in my work office right now because a lower performer was promoted and I’m still stuck at the bottom.
You are not alone. I left previous job because I was overlooked and recently saw on LinkedIn that the woman that I trained and mentored, is now a DIRECTOR in that company. 😅 Oh God, jist because sje can really talk a d manipulate people. I can only smile otherwise I'd cry. I might start my own company doing whatever 😂.
Be the guy people want to come talk to. Everything is about social interactions. If the people above like you and enjoy being around you, then you are going to get favoritism from them. Don't stress people out, be the person who people come to vent to. Someone they want around. You can be the best tech or whatever in the world, but if you don't have good social/people skills, you will have a tough time moving forward.
True.
The problem is in few jobs i worked so far people above me just love having their ass kissed. Interactions with them are so fake and superficial, even if I dance their little dance I can't get rid of the feeling I'm wasting my time. So is it my poor people skills, or they are just shitty human beings that I don't want to deal with? Or maybe it's both?
How do you do that tho 😢
What if Im an introvert 😢😢
@@tomaszw2729 I share your sentiment. Maybe its not your poor people skills, its just that being real is not a quality that is valued by shitty human beings. When I dance their little dance, I feel kind of dirty. I don't think all orgs are like this though, or at least I vaguely remember not feeling this way.
After 16 years of struggle as an individual contributor in the workplace, I finally hear this. All make sense now.
Imagine hearing it after 40 years of the bullshit... on your annual reviews etc...
I realized this after my first job out of college.
Easiest way to get a promotion is to move companies. Don’t be scared just do it. Experience at multiple companies teaches you so much. People who stay at the same company for years do not have the same breadth of industry experience
Thank's for confirming a belief i have had my entire adult life.
Nothing is more important than our ability to communicate well.
Bad communication either slows things down, make mistakes or ruins everything entirely.
A great communicator knows how to use language to his situational needs.
They know when to be neutral, when to be aggressive and assertive and they know when to be a bit more passive.
A great communicator is not only great at communication but is also great at reading a situation and sensing his environment.
You are so right, because a good talker can talk their way into anything or out of anything. It's what salespeople, lawyers and politicians do best.
this is correct - i spent so much time on my skills...and doing the work...and i saw my friends...just walk about doing nothing...but they spoke better than me...and got promoted more....becoz i was doing the work and they were doing the talking....
I appreciate you sharing your story and that the topic of this video resonated with you. Welcome to my channel!
The world is wrong, unfortunately
same as me, credits taken by others 😢 some colleagues are very good at talking and opportunistic
Depends the job is better just talk. Another jobs is better get the skills and grow from the bottom.
People are desperate to become important however do the job in a real way is the most important skill we can get specially technicians jobs.
A managers position can be great but start your own small business is much better than be a licking boots of someone.
Was a victim of this....when people only talk during zoom meetings but don't really work...
You touched upon the great reasons.
Sometimes being “too valuable on the floor” hurts your chances at promotion, and you’ll have to leave because you’re perceived in a “certain role”, and you need to go somewhere else to be seen with fresh eyes.
If you want to move up to leadership, the trick is to be visible and speak up. If you keep your head down, work hard, and deliver, that’s not enough. Get involved in projects that give you visibility, and make sure you TALK in public. Communication and public speaking is an important skill to have in leadership.
Also, WHO you know is important. Make sure you have mentors and advocates to help you with your cause, especially those who have influence and connections. Building relationships is another important leadership skill to have.
I trained my bosses. First job, trained the new person and he became my boss and cut my hours and I quit the job. Had an intern who we in the dept wrote letters of recomendation, hen was on the interview panel and hired him. Then we left the job. He came back as my position and then beat out another tech who had more time and whom I warned about promotions. My intern became the Director of IT. When my intern was my intern he said "When I become Boss I want to hire you" Now I was unemployed and applied and called him. He knew and did not even make it to interview. I try NOT to help interns, training anyone and now stay at jobs less than 2 years. No loyalty to no one.
The intern saw you as a threat
@@user-lu6yg3vk9zyup
Being very good at your job is not enough to move up. Having powerful mentors and being friends with the connected in an organization is more important. Powerful officials promote those they know and like.
This is 100% true. It comes down to knowing how to speak in front of others and favoritism. The talkers go very far very fast.
Butt kissers get the good promotions.
But they can be incompetent …
This is very sad but true. The people who handle the heaviest workload are usually the ones taken for granted the most.
One thing I learned in business. If you want to advance then train the people below you to be able to take over if you get promoted. If you do a great job yet have no one to replace you, the boss is not going to promote you up and worry about who is going to fill your slot.
All fine until they promote your trainees over yourself ...
I never had that problem. My friend did, but he was training the boss's son.@@davedree
I remember when I was an engineer, a peer catapulted himself to VP of Marketing while the rest of us watched in amazement. How did he do it? He bullshitted through his teeth at team meetings about what we were going to deliver and when. Being his co-worker I knew what he was saying was total crap. But management loved his confidence and swagger and rewarded him for it.
I think if you really want to feel valued you can't even be in corporate America. It's a waste of time. Start your own business and be the boss. When you're making a living on your own terms, you won't have this feeling of being unvalued. YOU will value yourself, and that's far more important than what someone else thinks of you.
*Dario Impini* Then, your customers will have to find value in your company.
@@ayeflippum That is true. You have to pick something that has value to the market.
"I knew what he was saying was total crap. But management loved his confidence and swagger and rewarded him for it." if it was all crap they must have found out later about it, right? So did they keep him in his position?
This is mind blowing, I have always believed implementation is everything, but communication is what set you apart
Agreed. It’s not the doers it’s the people who can make friends quickly.
@@BenCaesar people need to get over the hype 10,000 hours theory
At the implementation level, you have the least responsibility of all. You're not paid much because you're replaceable. Most people don't want responsibility and they don't see the bigger picture, which would enable them to take on responsibility.
“Soft skills” are what get you promoted
At my last Job I was the guy who got the promotion over a lot of angry people. My managers told me "We're really glad that you actually came here and told us you want to be promoted and take on more responsibility. Often times we're sort of guessing who wants a promotion and who's willing to take on responsibility, and then people get hurt because they don't tell us anything".
What I learned was, be clear in what you want, and make it know you're willing to take on responsibility
This is an excellent point. I have seen this sort of thing happen. “How come SHE was promoted. I’ve been working here three years longer than her!” Well, maybe it’s because she expressed an interest in advancing but you didn’t. Sorry, but that’s your loss and that’s on you.
Agreed, also be honest when the manager put you on a lot of pressure; like tight and unreasonable deadlines! You are willing to take more responsibility but it’s important to tell when you could be above capacity
@@JosephineClair Big thing is, if you're trying to make more money. Taking on more responsibility shouldn't really be doing more, but rather doing more important things, that not everyone else can do. Like managing people, being able to work independently, working with more expensive equipment etc.
Well I'm so glad my company they do not promote directly to that employee. Sure if he/she address interest in position employees has to wait until jobs is posted within the company via email to all employees than they can apply for the position. This is to prevent this type issue. And managment can not place a recommendation for that employee either. Applications from the applicants will be review only by the district branch manager not the dept manager lol. This is also to prevent favoritism by the manager and the supervisor.
Based on my experience you get promoted if:
1. Your boss is sleeping with the GM
2. Work for a company for 12 yrs, end up training 3 new bosses who has zero experience.
3. Be the friend/family member of the office manager/HR and get hired without knowledge or experience only to get paid more than someone (me) that has a higher education and more experience.
4. Coworkers lying to management about the work they did, when they are taking credit for your work. And management puts them on an undeserving pedestal.
I think there's a different strategy altogether.
For everyone saying you need to be extrovert and always be constantly communicating your value externally, virtue signaling or any of these things rather than just being an extremely good implementor, I would urge you to look at continuing your profession in a venue that will value that more.
If you aren't valued where you are, you may be able to seek better opportunities elsewhere, don't let nepotism and favouritism keep you locked down, keep putting yourself in new opportunities and in front of more eyes. Don't always focus on who *you* know, start trusting that others will learn and remember you. If you aren't valued, go somewhere where you will be.
Indeed. People naturally sort people into boxes in their mind.
Once they have decided at some level what your value is... It may be excessively hard to break out of that.
Often, a business will flat out refuse to give minor concessions and raises to an existing employee... But when that person leaves won't hesitate to give a lot more that the 1st person asked to their replacement.
It's crazy stupid, yet happens all the time.
Solution? Go where you are valued. When you have another real option on the table, you can use that as leverage to negotiate better terms.
Not perfect but something like this:
"Our time is valuable, so I'll keep this short.
I have an offer from another company that's baking me more with better terms and perks.
I'm planning to accept, but out of respect the work you do here, I'm giving you this opportunity to value me more than them with a better offer to stay.
Take 2 days to think about it, then meet me again to make an agreement."
(leave it vague enough that they can't nickel and dime, but instead choose to anti up or not)
If they don't go for it, you just learned that *they don't value you,* so it's a good thing you already line up a better place.
If they do go for it, you just increased your market value, because people look to how others valued you to decide what they think you are worth (especially manager type personalities, because their worth/salary is almost entirely built on that premise!)
The typical improvement move to another company amounts to more than several years raises and starts fresh with a new raise track vs the old company's plateauing / tapering off raises.
That's why it's recommended to change companies every 3-5yrs to significantly increase your income.
In simple words, employee should always look for better opportunity outside current company.
One thing to watch out for, if you have proprietary knowledge, the other company might only want to stole it.
Once they can implement it, you're obsolete.
Thank you for this. This is what i needed to hear. These kinda play the social game to get a head types makes me sick.
I have to disagree with this advice because even if your current management offers more money to keep you, there will always be that distrust which will hurt your advancement opportunities going forward. If you want to move up/make more money, it’s best to just apply for another position. That how I moved up and got higher pay. Do not waste time and energy expecting to be promoted. Focus on getting your experience and building your network.
I find this depressing because it’s all so tiring. There are games being played all around and while I know this, it’s all so foreign to me and it seems like a lot of hard work for me while it’s something that’s super natural for others.
Life is not fair, I accept that
I’m 54 and I’m glad that I remained on implementation level for my whole career. Because to me, design and implementation have the highest levels (I don’t feel like being ‚the market’ though, I feel like being a creator)
Happy for you. Be content
Deep technical skills require discipline and an open inquisitive mind. I hope with time and discipline I could improve my tech skills
Why companies stop valuing implementor, start valuing communicator... is not the communicator who get the job done....😢
I've been through many positions, the one that I like the most is a doer. I don't seek promotions anymore, I now only value my doing and focus on doing it so well that I even got paid higher than my manager because of other opportunities popped up. I'm saying this for ppl who are good at what they're doing and not into communication and charisma stuff. Value what you're doing and always open your eyes to opportunities and help ppl all around the world. Be always honest, learn and sharpen your skills in what you love doing, and do not have emotional ties with a company. Have ties with YOUR company: yourself. (All the great ppl you meet along the way are the true Bonus of the journey)
My solution to all the corporate promotion BS is to start my own business. I suggest all of you to have an entrepreneurial spirit, take a risk and go for it. Getting an MBA degree actually helps. For those with a spouse, make sure you get the support of your spouse. In my case, one of us was working to support the risk taker. It worked for us and the payoff was substantial. I am 65 now, I told my son to do the same. The key to success is to know the right experience, right timing, right location, right partnership and the right vision.
Awesome words.
This is the way to go if you want to be true to your abilities and their value. This differs to what is suggested in this video, which is how to win at The Corporate Game. Ugh, what an awful existence.
You also nailed it with your advice about one's spouse needing to be on board with the entrepreneurial plan. Your spouse has to have stamina and tenacity greater or equal to yours.
Good words.
Wow
Taking a risk and setting up on your own does not work in the era of high mortgages or rents and high family costs. Children are dependent on their parents for far longer than in the past and housing is now eye-wateringly expensive. Not everyone has the courage and self-confidence to go out on their own and competitors and customers know this.
The important thing is to keep your financial affairs and vulnerabilities top secret. Customers will leverage any weakness to get cheaper rates as will competitors to edge you out and take your customer base.
Self employed people tend to be very independent and picky about their friends and do not celebrate new house buying or any other event which may give a bargaining edge to customers or competitors.
Yours is the right advice. Too many people work themselves to the bone for peanuts or they waste valuable energy boot licking in the hopes of a few more bread crumbs.
Claim all of your victories loud and proud. Don’t complain. Only offer solutions. Listen more than you talk. Talk only when it matters. Lastly, don’t get caught up with right or wrong decisions. Make a choice and MAKE it the right choice.
I don’t understand the last part about getting caught up in right or wrong but ultimately making a choice the right choice. Could you elaborate? I’m not getting this part.
@@foodiusmaximus
David got carried away trying to write something profound and inspiring and in the process forgot to make sense. Here's my advice, be like David. As long as you believe in your BS no matter how little sense it makes others will believe in it too. Act like you always have the answers and if you dun goof, act like it's not a big deal, shrug it off.
In fact this happened to me. I worked with IT basically focused on implementation.
And I saw some colleagues get promoted ahead of me, and with half my technical ability, some were complete idiots.
However, they communicated better, while I was almost a caveman when it came to communication, my co-workers really knew who and what to talk to.
Communication was my Achilles tendon and I agree 100% with this video. I would say I could earn 3x more if I improved my communication.
Same with me. I taught technical skills to juniors then they are going to be my direct supervisor
Those who can't/ have limited implementation skills especially to solve technical or even complex technical problems, need another route to climb or shine, so they use their mouth/ communication as their tool.
Some of them even bordering as bullies. But they do get ahead. It's not a great feeling from my perspective, unfortunately in the workplace, it's a skill to get ahead fast.
If you have great technical skills, you just need a fraction/ half of their communication skill and you'd fly
I am in the Tech field too, i guess this communication bug is applicable to almost all devs
If you’re the best at implementation then it would be unwise for mantener to take you away from that, so they hire the less competent idiots instead 😀
Jump ship every three years. You'll do better that way than staying with the same company for 15 or 20 years with annual bumps. If you stay, HR marks you as "unlikely to leave" and they don't have to do much for you with annual raises. There is ZERO loyalty in 2023. You have to think of yourself as a one man company.
Truly excellent. One of the best videos I have seen on career progression.
Implementation Skills (Organizational skills) -> Unification Skills (persuasion/negotiating skills) -> Communication Skills (Leadership skills).
This is the message, I spend all my time covering with my team, to explain career progression and he skills to develop in each area.
Experience is a threat to your direct supervisor, team leader or sometimes manager, and they'll often bad mouth you and hold you back, so by default the less experienced end up being the only option.
I second this. It comes down to who you know. I’ve see many industries, hired a new hired and have that person trained them to be their boss. The end of the day, they are good friends/relatives with the hiring manager/upper managers.
I am 46, a software engineer, a mother and a wife. Work for the biggest national Telecom company for the last 15 years. Turn off 2 promotions as I don’t see how I can cope with more overtime. Most of my co-worker at my age has a senior manager or director position. But I also realize that more than half of my co-worker are divorced. Not surprising considering the high level of responsibility and stress. During covid, i decided to switch for the public sector but still in my field of expertise. I was able to leverage my past 20 years of experience in the private sector and just after a year, I get promoted. I had a way better work-family life balance than before, better retirement plan, stability and a better salary. Unfortunately, loyalty doesn’t pay from what I learn.
totally I know someone works for biggest telecom....lol It a lot of fighting between teams... you never know who get chop off next
@@BlueSkyOcean I worked as a vendor for a telecom company once. What you said is true indeed
I'm almost 60 and learned no one gives a sh t! That's why nothing holds value. My advice is to get your hands on a lot of money and help the community where it needs. Everyone is trying to screw you out of it.
One of the pieces of advice my mother gave, that I didn't fully understand until I was well into my twenties... "You not only have to be it, but also look like it".
You must be good with your craft but also you gotta make sure others notice it too.
I have been fortunate throughout my life to be promoted at a very rapid rate. Now I am 62 (time catches up with all of us). Reflecting on my experiences, I agree that high level communication skills have been essential differentiators throughout my life and career. It is also important to understand that communication means being a skilled listener as well as a compelling speaker. Often my "trick" is to say what needs to be said when others are reluctant to say it. This doesn't mean being arrogant or offensive. It means being thoughtful, knowlegeable and intellectually courageous.
P.S. In my mid 30s I considered going back to school for an MBA to add to my BS in Electrical Engineering. The promo materials for UT Austin's MBA program it said they would prepare me for an effective career in management. I put the literature down then and there. I already had created a career in management for myself. Why spend time and money getting ready to do what I was already doing?
yea but like.. i thought that an MBA was an entirely different field of study than your engineering degree in which they showed you accounting or finance.. or you just knew that stuff without school..
@@demonwaterdemonwater4993 I changed majors a twic during my undergrad and along the way picked up introductory accounting, economics and business classes. Only three "business" classes, and they didn't "count" towards my degree. But, it was enough for me to learn the rest on-the-job without going back to school for another formal degree. Formal schooling isn't the only way to learn, which is kind of a subset of the "education is the answer lie" Dr. Lee spoke about.
May ask what field you advanced in? My nephew has BS in electrical engineering as well … early in career and struggling with route to advancement…
Thanks in advance…
@@nonamuss9991 My advice after being in the industry for 20+ years is that MBA definitely helps in the long run but best to do while doing a job to get professional experience (management degree either online or part time like Stanton uni course)
I'm looking at you avatar - is that you?? And you are 62? You look good!
We are told that if we do not have education we cannot get into the door. I've learned to just leave these organizations alone and start my own and sit at the communication level. I've seen folks advance pass me with only implementation skills. They lack communication skill. They are only favored because they are the owner’s friend or family. Nepotism.
I was once told by a member of the management team that I was never going to get promoted unless , I played the game . I have no intentions to play anyone’s game. I have ethics, morals , and standards . I have been in management positions without the need to sacrifice my soul for a title/position . Every promotion was earned not given or stolen 🤓 and that’s priceless.
The famous play, 'Death of a Salesman', it does a great job showing you that experience doesn't always get you to the top. It takes a lot more, unless you're really lucky. It takes courage and taking opportunities and standing up for yourself and I would add: prayer too.
All good advice. I retired after two decades in C level positions and would add one more criteria in the selection process and that is trust. If you can't be trusted you will never get ahead and the further up the ladder you aspire to the greater the trust required. This can result in deep friendships and you carry one another along from company to company in many cases. (Or at least provide solid referrals) Networks are built on relationships and relationships are based on trust. I would also add one more skill which you alluded to and that is the ability to hire people who are the best at what they do. This cannot be understated.
In my experience, as a hard worker and office staff that considered me valuable. I never moved up the ladder even if I applied. The people I was told to train for higher positions were given the positions. So when I decided to set my boundaries and ask for payment to train their employees, the working environment changed. It becomes toxic. I've learned over the years that really GOOD AND EXCELLENT managers are hard to find and almost extinct. Good management is able to pull out their employees potential, not harass, humiliate, or oppress them because they feel threatened. Communication is great too find out what decision you need to make. Sadly, it's hard to find a positron with good management skills and as an effective communicator that practices mindfulness to resolve conflict not gaslight you into believing you're the problem.
Thank you so much. It is true that good and excellent managers are very very very hard to find. I hate the fact that people just think, oh sure, you suck at what you do is totally fine. That is totally fine but as long you communicate well that will help the team. Nope. The real manager protect you. Make sure you can do your job without being interfering by other teams. Make sure that you get the benefit and recognition you want. So far in my life, none of my managers did that. I heard a one or two friends...their manager might be good but always get let go because they stand their ground for their team....
You are so correct and your advice is spot on. As in any relationship people will treat you as you allow them to treat you. Be prepared to move on
After spending 30 years in the IT industry, I have observed that implementors typically do the bulk of the work, while managers and directors often have little technical knowledge but rely on implementors to get the job done. Unfortunately, some managers are not effective communicators, and may have landed their positions through impressive BS skills rather than actual qualifications. Throughout my career, I have worked under some truly awful bosses, and have found that even as a manager myself, I still must address the problems of those under me in order to motivate and lead them effectively. One positive aspect of being a doer in the industry is that job stability is often greater than for those in management roles, as I have seen many bosses and managers come and go. However, to increase one's earning potential in the industry, it may be necessary to move around and seek new opportunities. Currently, as a Senior Analyst, I am ten times more efficient and knowledgeable than many of my colleagues, but sometimes the stress associated with higher-level positions is not worth the compensation. Ultimately, if a company does not value its employees, it is best to seek employment elsewhere and ensure that the new position offers better compensation and benefits.
I suppose impressive BS skills is part of communications...the wrong kind, but that's what works sadly.
The worst manager in IT that you could have is the manager that was not a senior engineer or tech lead or has very minimal or no technical know-how. That's when bureaucracy sky-rockets super fast.
While communication is an essential component, there are other factors as crucial:
- Above all: It's who you know, less what you know. Networking and nepotism are alive and well.
- The faster the company grows, the higher your chances of advancing and getting promoted.
- Technical skills and managerial skills are very different, and good technologists may be bad managers and the other way around. Make sure you have the skills needed for the next level.
- The higher up, the more your job shifts from technical to managerial to strategic and visionary.
A manager is not a leader - two very different roles/persons. Networking and nepotism is the epitome of your communication skills.
Exactly! I have been in the workforce for many years, people who are able to communicate climb fastest even though they are not that good. Networking is also one thing to maintain the visibility and when it comes to promotion, management knows who you are.
Thank you for your comment, Kelvin. The best way to advance your career indeed is to combine communication, networking, competence, and performance.
"If you are a hard-working, honest person with integrity, you need to let that go. Look up narcissistic personality styles and emulate their behavior, and then you will reach higher levels of success. Stop paying so much much attention to the context of the research and necessary workflow for whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, and shift your focus on observing the behavior of your superiors and figuring out things that feed their ego with the supply they love. Congratulations, you are finally on your way to American success!"
Of what I've seen over my 41 years in the work force is salesmanship. In the past, it was having knowledge and experience. Today if you sound and act like you know what you are doing, you stand out. You have to show motivation even if you make mistakes. You don't necessarily have to have the knowledge or experience but can sell yourself. Oh, a good reference is a car salesperson.
3rd Level: Communication
2nd Level: Unification
1st Level: Implementation
2 Mistakes that lead to Churn & Burn:
1) Get more education
2) Work harder
Thanks for the insight!
Not everyone wants to get into management. In many industries experienced implementors/experts are highly valued and well-paid and have better job satisfaction and work-life balance than managers. And in today's world a lot of people are promoted too quickly into management without any proper notion of real-world management.
I agree. Tech is a good example of implementors being highly valued. Sometimes even more highly valued than managers! But I definitely also think an implementor with good communication skills is looked at more favorably than an implementor with poor communications skills. Either way, effective communication can be a game changer
100%. Communication is the single most leadership skill that will propel your career to the next level. Speaking from experience as an introverted manager for a team of 20 attorneys, I learned the hard way, that my accomplishments & technical knowledge were only as “good” as I could communicate them to people who “mattered.” Please don’t feel like just because you are introverted or shy, you automatically fall short compared to your extroverted colleagues. You really don’t. You CAN speak as confidently as you think. Trust me, as someone who knew no English until high school, when I say that confident clear and effective communication is a totally learnable skillset that anyone can acquire with time. Manifest your inner confidence, keep practicing, and eventually, you will start seeing the results that will also serve to validate you with the knowledge that you had it within you all this time.
From my experience most of it is a game. It’s all about who you know and network with. In many organizations a promotion feels like a demotion. I went from hourly and making overtime, to salary and working many hours for free. Most of management is babysitting adults and being upper managements punching bag all day. We’re always understaffed, and working 2 even 3 different job responsibilities. I got burned out and went back down to a lower level, because I made more money, had more peace and work/life balance.
Well said , my company refused giving me promotion , they hired someone with 1/3 of my experience for that role, i'd rather to have better work life balance than managing other people at the same time i'm under psychological pressure , my peers are now head departments and i am in same role as i was 10 years ago
@@user-rx7th9hr4l Do you ever feel bad? Ever? For being in the same role for over a decade? I've been in the same entry level position at multiple companies for over a decade now. About to become a manager in some other company, awaiting results.
Having worked as a lower-level employee in a few well-known technology companies I would also say that the upper-level managers, who think of themselves as good communicators who "get along with everyone', mostly only identify with people from similar circumstances. That is they identify well with a diverse group of people who went to their same university (or a similar one) cheer for their favorite sports team, and have similar recreational activities as educated people on 'their level'. I agree that they are good communicators, or rather, good talkers. They like to talk a lot and come up with ideas (which they think are new but are often not) that they get other people to do, without really understanding the 'how' or 'why'.
That's right! They tend to hire those that look like them don't they? 🙃
Sounds like a boys’ club 😂
The top management folks in my company were bad communicators. To be a good communicator, the first step is to be a good listener. They failed miserably in the very first step.
People who communicate only with those who they like = bad communicators.
People who look at "what do we have in common?" = Bad communicators.
A good communicator has an unbiased mind, and an open mind. Such a person is difficult to come by though they exist in this planet.
I've seen colleagues who were so good at the job they were denied promotions because they couldn't be replaced.
They ended up needing to go pursue their career elsewhere.
This ended up getting them a 2x salary bump, better benefits etc.
One thing I noticed in the corporate setting is that no matter how flamboyant a person is, with outstanding credentials to boot, if that person does not know how to kiss ass (with managers), the person wouldn’t able to climb the corporate ladder. For the Filipinos here, “panis ‘yang galing mo kung hindi ka marunong sumipsip”.
I had to leave a company for this reason and now im lightyears ahead of where I was when I was in that company. It impacted my self esteem while I was there but that ended as soon as i left. Basically if needs arent being met its time to go. I have a need for growth and expansion and nobody can stop me. I know where the door is 🏃
good for you , my company refused my promotion despite being really happy with my performance instead, they hired someone with 1/3 of my experience , i feel stupid cause i turned down much better job and money 3 month ago, now job market is pretty terrible, i am quitting very soon, without lining up another job, my blood is boiling and can't work with these people anymore...
I'm not gonna bother telling them why i am quitting,....
My kind of mindset 👍
Without implementation there is no product/output. Without output there is little to manage. And when there is nothing to manage there is little to communicate about. The *company value* is at the implementers, the *career success* is at the talkers.
Agreed. It's because the managers and communicators are good at soliciting and asking for higher wages. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This is the way the world works when it comes to your career.... It's not WHAT you know but WHO you know. This applies to all walks of life regardless of education level. Sad but true.
The name of the game is to wait and see for the opportunity to come, at the same time prepare yourself for the eventuality. Do not stop learning and improving yourself. To have good emotional intelligence and work smart certainly help, great assets.
I’ve been a network engineer for 18 years and love it. Management is not for me, I love being in the mix and fixing things. I like being on-call, implementation of changes and dealing with tier 3 escalations, I work with designers and am constantly learning. I work with new technology every day. I’ve been able to increase my wages purely through persistent learning and qualifications. I’ve only worked in two organisations as I’ve networked at my level and moved roles etc. A lot of growth has also come in my personal life through volunteering, it’s been very rewarding.
How can I be a network engineer?
Learn, try stuff, experiment, take certification may be, do some small projects and start applying
And also surround yourself with those you can learn from. Volunteering at places you can learn, that's a big thing honestly.
It's so true, you want to be good at your job, but not so good, the company can't afford to lose you in that department. It's a very careful balance, but a well managed company will still find ways to reward and promote you.
I learned that not getting promoted is nothing personal. Management are just regular people and will promote who they like better so even if they deny, they can be subjective. I think we just need to accept it and move forward and find a new path. Maybe this current company is not your destiny. For me, I've found better things in life when I took risk and go out in the world and I feel much more fulfilled now than getting promoted tbh. There's more to life than promotion.
@noeme17- you just dropped golden nuggets I picked up years ago because if you don't change your mindset bitterness will slip in and I'm not giving anyone that kind of power over me.
Nepotism and cronies are everywhere.