Arriving at work early and leaving late

The expected time to be at work is from 9 am to 5 pm, but is there anything stopping you from extending this period? Starting ten minutes early or staying for ten minutes before leaving is not going to have any big impact on your schedule, but your superiors are going to notice this and they might be looking for someone deserving a promotion. Another benefit is reducing work-related stress because you have more time to do your work, and this will go a long way in helping you work effectively.

Read this blog from Travis Perkins about a journey from warehouse to branch manager.

Dressing to impress in business attire

Although they say you should never judge a book by its cover, if you are working in a big office that has a lot of employees, the only chance your employer gets to make an impression of you is how you are presenting yourself. You should always be dressed in clean and smart clothes. Maybe the old shirt you always like wearing because it is comfy is not going to impress your boss. You should aim to dress in a way that you would if you were to get the promotion.

Taking the initiative in business meetings

It can be tempting to just sit back and let others do the talking during meetings, but you are not going to impress anyone doing this. Instead of being the person who quietly sits at the corner while seeping coffee leaving everyone else to do the work, choose to be the one speaking up meetings and taking part in discussions. If you feel confident with the subject, you should not be afraid of taking the dominant role and speaking up when there is an awkward silence. Your boss is going to notice this, increasing your chance of getting a promotion.

Keeping your work schedule organized

If you are spending your day wondering how you are going to fit everything or you keep forgetting things that need to be done, you need to take a step back and start making a plan or scheduling how long a task is going to take. This can be a simple list you tick off after completing a task or a timetable. This is going to help you in reducing stress and make sure you are not rushing on your projects or deliver sub-standard work that is going to reduce your chances of getting a promotion.

Being proactive and helping your colleagues

There are times when you don’t have any work to do and you don’t know what to do. Instead of sitting back and waiting for work, you should take a proactive approach and ask your colleagues if there is anything you can help them with. This is going to show you are ready to take extra work, and you will be seen as a real team player, something that many companies, and the people making decisions, like to see in their employees. Another benefit is having a few people owing you a favor.

Working consistently throughout the day

Let’s say you have been working on your work 99 percent of the day and the one percent of the day picking your nose while staring into space; the boss walks in during the one percent, what impression do you think they will have? And what impact is that going to have on your chances of getting promoted? You should choose a level of working that you can sustain the entire day, and when you feel like you need rest, go to the break room instead of doing it at your desk.

Encouraging an environmentally friendly workplace

Businesses today are environmentally conscious, and keeping green around the office has become a buzz. You should suggest to your superiors ways your office can become environmentally friendly, such as saving water or reducing the amount of printing. What you suggest should not hinder the workflow of the boss. When you do this, the boss might end up being impressed, and this increases your chances of getting that promotion.