Are you happy with your current position in your company? No, what are you doing about it? I hear people complaining way too often that they are unhappy with their work and for whatever reason they put up with it. The overwhelming reason is that people are waiting for someone to pull them up through a corporation. They’re looking for a manager to create a development plan, waiting for an executive to offer them a promotion, waiting for a project manager to ask them to be on the next big project.

No one cares about you

The bottom line is none of this will happen. Sure there are the cases where people are really recognized for the value they provide but it rarely happens. Think about it, if you’re doing a great job in your current role, why would a manger want to pull you out of that roll and put you in something else, she needs a competent person in that roll.

Provide a successor

Sure you may think you have job security being the linchpin in a critical system, but if you’re the only one who can do it there is no way your managers will push to get you on something else. As for a development plan, most development plans are geared toward what the enterprise wants not what you want. If you’re a java developer and you want to be well rounded, ask your manager if you can take a class on C#. Best of luck with that.

Create your own development plan

We’re not talking about a development plan for HR, make one for yourself. Don’t just sit there looking at it, act on it. Truth is if you haven’t learned anything new in the past three months you’re not going anywhere.

Learn something new each quarter

The whole objective is that you need to work for what you want and where you want to be. Point in case, you want your managers job. How willing do you think your boss would be to stepping out of your way. Exactly, your manager has no interest in grooming you for his position. If you see no room for movement within your team look elsewhere.

Find your own path

Better yet move someone out of the position you want. No I’m not talking about hiring a hit man. Pick a position you want and get close to that person. Understand what *they* want from their career and help them get there. Challenge them to be better ask them questions, compliment them in front of key people, help them get where they way to go. If you’ve played your cards right you’ve show you have the skills and have been visible enough to slide right in to the empty chair.

Help your obstacles move

You might find yourself in a place where everyone is very content and no one wants to move anywhere. First be careful you don’t catch what they have. Truth is there is nothing wrong with aspiring to be better than you are. It’s not a sign of weakness, rather is a sign of strength. Sure your developer buddies may laugh that you sound like you want to be a manager, but in five years they’ll still be there doing the same thing, you’ll be bringing in more cash, doing cool new things.

Embrace your dreams, they’re not nightmares

Finally it’s called the corporate ladder for a reason. You need to take the time and effort to climb it. You need to work at it, find resources, look for opportunities, be proactive. If managers and leaders really were to pull you up through the ranks it would be called the corporate elevator. You need to make it happen.

Give yourself that promotion