DO the job you want

If you’re going after a promotion or looking to get on the track for partnership (or whatever), one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is…

DO the job before you ask for it. 

Making an investment in you before they know whether you can deliver, is a big risk to the business … not to mention a personal risk to whoever puts their political capital behind you. 

The best way to eliminate that risk is to already be DOING the job.  

The only alternative is to hope that they’ll believe in you ahead of time. 

Risky career strategy. 

Of course, there will be elements of the job you can’t do yet. But EVERYTHING you can be doing, you should be doing. 

To create some structure around this, try writing a job-description for the position. 

What are they doing on a day-to-day basis? What would it require for you to do those things? Make a note of all the growth that’s required of you in terms of: 

• skillsets
• knowledge
• relationships

Then, very deliberately, find ways to acquire those things and meet that job description. 

This will be UNCOMFORTABLE. 

You’re probably going to have to ask for things, do new things imperfectly, put yourself in ‘awkward’ situations, do some things without asking for permission. 

And if it doesn’t feel uncomfortable yet, let’s ramp it up. Ask yourself:

• What decisions are they making at the next level?
• What risks are they taking without a safety net? 

Now go and do the same. 

I know. It’s hard. That’s why they pay you more at that level! ☺  

But it’s 100% worth it.  

Your value and confidence will skyrocket. 

And just remember, you already know how to do hard things. 

Let’s go!