When it comes to achieving a promotion at work, it can be quite difficult to convey to your managers you’re serious about progression within the business. Chances are, your support network will keep advising you to be confident. But here lies the problem, the difference between being ambitious and being ruthless in the workplace is a fine line, and the latter should be avoided at all costs.
Being ambitious should not be frowned at all by any employer, in fact ambitions will be nurtured and cultivated by any reputable employer. However, people overstepping the confidence line and bordering onto cocky, tend to overcompensate and therefore believe that they’re on the top, even if reality says otherwise. This tends to lead to unnecessary manipulative or callous behaviour as they focus on defending their mistakes at all costs and continue their domination to succeed.
Whilst it may sound simple, accepting you’re simply a human being is fundamental in being successfully confident. Human’s make mistakes, and more importantly, they learn from those mistakes and the misfortune that may come with it. The cocky ones amongst us, however, risk the fragile persona crumbling in the face of defeat and run from criticism. Running from ownership of problems, looking for others to blame and self-condemnation if things do not go quite as they had planned.
Remember, when communicating with others, listening is the most important part. If you like yourself, as you are, you’re able to free up the energy to be genuinely interested in what other people have to say. Active listening is crucial to bagging that promotion you’ve had your eye on for a while. It’s a proven fact that people respond more positively to your attentiveness.
In contrast overly arrogant people tend to feel the need to validate their belief of being better than others, and therefore are constantly looking for any opportunity to sell themselves. This is frowned upon by employers, people are not looking to promote or even stay in the same presence as people who continually talk about themselves. Acknowledge others achievements as well as build your work colleagues up rather than knocking them down. There’s no need to blow out someone else’s candle to make yours brighter, there’s room for everyone’s successes in the workplace.
However, it’s always important to remember, cockiness tends to be masking insecurities and is used a defence mechanism. It is important to stay confident at work, and let your manager see that so when that promotion comes up. It’s all the right reasons you’re being put forward for it, rather than the wrong ones that are being presented to avoid being given it.
DIRECTions coaching is a London based executive and personal coaching service provided by Anne Taylor.
For any more information, please feel free to contact Anne on: 0203 151 6830.
