Six (6) Behaviours That Prevent You From Moving Up in Your Career

You have been working with this company for years, but you never get promoted. You constantly see people who have been contracted after you getting management positions while you still are doing what you are told. And you’ve started to wonder why you never get a chance like everybody.

Many variables might be influencing this scenario and can be used to explain why you aren’t moving up in your career – and maybe more than one might be happening at the same time. Therefore, it is important that you stop and reflect with a bit of self-analysis following our suggestions below. You may be able to figure out if, somehow, you are sabotaging your chances in the company.

You have a bad relationship with your team

Look around you while you are at the office: do people like you? Sure, you might be thinking that you aren’t there to be liked but to do your job. And yet teamwork skills are mandatory for those who want to climb to higher positions in any company – can you imagine what would be like to have a supervisor or a manager who isn’t a people person?
So if you think that your relationship with your team isn’t the best, it’s time to make amends. Apologize if the situation is really bad, and take it from there. If not, don’t dramatize the situation either. Just slowly try to be more helpful, to listen to people’s ideas more often, and maybe smile a little bit more. Or ask for some kind of psychological support if dealing with people really is a big deal to you. But do something about it immediately.

Your relationship with your boss isn’t the best

Another possibility is that it is your boss who is holding you back. And if your relationship with him or her isn’t great, you can be 100% sure that this is the reason you have been looking for. The thing is that your boss is the first person that people will ask for an opinion about giving you a promotion or not, or, in many cases, they are the responsible for the final decision themselves.
So, yes, you will want to make sure that your boss sees you as a great asset to the company and ready to climb higher positions. They need to trust that you have the right soft and hard skills for the job so they won’t have a problem on their hands after vouching for you. Even if your boss is a tough one, try to keep it civil and excel as often as you can, so they will remember your name for good reasons.

You are a procrastinator

Are you always the last one to deliver the reports? Are you constantly late for no apparent reason? Does your boss have any idea on which stage of that task you are at the moment? So procrastination might be the reason for you not moving up in your career.
Nobody will give bigger challenges to you if you don’t seem capable of dealing with the small ones that you already have – especially if you can’t even manage to be in the office on time. Therefore, stop procrastinating right now, and start getting your job done as efficiently as you can (keeping its high-level of quality, of course).

You don’t bring new ideas to your department

If you wish to boost your career, you probably know that your desired position will be much more than pressing buttons or typing letters, especially if what you are dreaming about is a management position. You should know that you will be expected to contribute to your department not just by doing your tasks, but by bringing new ideas that will increase results and help the company to achieve its goal.
So if you are one of those who keep quiet during brainstorming meetings, that never has a word to say when asked about how the company could improve their products, or has never suggested one single way to make your own work more efficient, you got yourself a problem here.
Try to address it as soon as you can, broadcasting throughout the company all those ideas that you might have been keeping to yourself over the last years, so they will know that you can contribute in a more positive way. Don’t wait for the next meeting: just write down your suggestions and deliver them to your boss or whoever is in charge. They will congratulate you for your initiative.

You ask too often about raises and promotions

When was the last time you asked about a raise or a promotion? And how often do you do it? If you are constantly talking about it, complaining about being left behind, or inquiring about the opportunities available, this might be the reason why you aren’t getting either of these.
Of course, it is important to ensure that people know that you wish to move up in your career. But you should also understand that asking about it all the time might be making you sound annoying and irritating.
The HR department and your boss certainly have heard you since the first time that you asked for it, and, probably, there is an appropriate time of the year when you can throw a quick reminder to them. But don’t overdo it, or your chances to hear your name being called will just keep decreasing.

You haven’t been achieving your goals

If you aren’t managing to get your tasks done or to achieve your goals, the chances are that you won’t get promoted. Only the best employees on the team will be chosen, and you know that. And there is no point in blaming a colleague, your boss, or the company for your bad results. Actually, it will only make things worse as you need to show them that you can excel even under tough circumstances.
So start doing your homework and make sure that your goals are achieved each and every time. Keep one eye on what the board of directors have been looking for and talk about, so you know what you should deliver and prioritize. Try your best to add a little extra to it, so they can be sure that you made it easily and comfortably, not after weeks of caffeine, struggle and pain.

In Conclusion

You have just learned about the major causes that might be stopping you from moving up in your career. Of course, each situation has its own particularities, but it usually comes down to relationships, behaviour and results.
There are many statistics about it out there that you can check, but you should first try to realize what you are doing that doesn’t meet your company’s expectations, and gradually change it – gradually because an overnight transformation will only make people suspicious of your intentions.
Even the worst scenario can be turned in your favor, so don’t lose hope. If you keep that promotion in your mind and work for it in a professional manner, you are very likely to get it as soon as it becomes available.
Author’s BIO:
Kerry Creaswood – a young and ambitious writer from Savannah, GA. She is fond of various forms of art and thinks that everything we can imagine is real. To find more about Kerry – check her Twitter