Imagine you are having a dinner party. You want to invite 6 to 8 people and you want everyone to have a good time.
Who do you invite? By now you are thinking about your closest friends and having a good time. But what about if two of those friends you really like, but you know they are not going to jive well with the others. I am guessing you will invite them next time. This is a societal norm.
You want to have a dinner party where everyone fits. A team is not much different. The most important thing to a manager is fit. It is vital that a new team member is the right fit, if not these are some of the things for the manager to consider.
The manager is judged on:
-
Team productivity – if there is a person on the team that isn’t a good fit, the team will work against one another.
-
Cost – it is very costly to bring a new person on and if it doesn’t work out it is a loss of money and time.
-
Reputation – it reflects poorly on the manager that they picked someone who didn’t work out.
I asked my mentor how to get over this obstacle.
My Mentor: Whether you are getting a promotion internally or a new job, you must get to know several people on the team.
Me: How do I do that when few people will meet with me or it says “No Phone Calls” in the ad?
My Mentor: First let’s consider why you need to get to know people on the team. You might invite a stranger to your dinner party but you wouldn’t pick a stranger if you had to work with them everyday, you would pick someone you know. Therefore, you must become known to the manager. A resume is not enough, it has to be a conversation or two to get to really know and connect with the team. The important part comes back to: having a conversation with another team member and telling the manager.
Me: Why does this matter?
My Mentor: Have you ever asked about a person?
Me: Sure, to see if they are… a good fit.
My Mentor: Correct. If the manager can back it up with secondary source, it works a lot better. My advice is to get to know the manager and the members of the team you want to join.
Me: But how?
My Mentor: Next week.
Other articles in the series How to Get a Promotion:
Crossing the Chasm – How to Get a Promotion Part 1
2 Ways to Gain More Responsibility – How to Get a Promotion Part 2
Get Known!! – How to Get a Promotion Part 3
Join us on Facebook 150 Years Mentorship Page
Join our Facebook Community and share and learn from others. https://www.facebook.com/150yearsmentorship/
