move up the corporate ladder with ease by following these simple tips.

If you want to climb up the corporate ladder, you need to focus on maintaining a positive work behavior and building the right set of competencies. Given below are some useful tips that will help you prepare for the next-level role in your company.

Perform a SWOT analysis

Conduct a realistic assessment of your competencies in People Management, Process Management, Client Management, and Change Management. Understand what job responsibilities entail in the next role and whether you are 100% prepared to discharge these efficiently. Do a SWOT analysis of your core competencies. What are your strong points and where do you need improvements? Seek opportunities for growth and have a contingency plan to build your key competencies.

Create more visibility

This may sound cliché but is important nonetheless. You must inform not only your immediate boss but also those who potentially have the power to influence your promotion about your lateral moves. Expand your skill sets and take on additional assignments but ensure that your contribution doesn’t go unnoticed. Let your skills and competencies always fly within the range of your management’s radar. Let your team members also know that you are going the extra mile solely for the team.

Take initiatives

Be someone who takes initiatives and not just merely follows orders. When you act like an initiator, the management is likely to take you more seriously. When you take initiatives it conveys a strong message that you are confident of taking on bigger challenges and responsibilities. Your boss believes that you are ready for the next role and deserve a promotion.

Focus on developing a leadership mindset

A leadership role will come to you only if you exhibit leadership attributes. Start to think and act like a leader. Read, study, follow industry leaders on social media, and attend industry conferences. This is one area where you need to work like a free agent. This also means that at the workplace you need to deliver more than your regular KRAs. Remember, if you think and act a level above without ignoring your current job responsibilities, you will be noticed by the people who matter.

Help your peers

If you don’t do it right now, start helping co-workers. Not only will it help in future buy-ins, but will also give you a new perspective on things and give you some cross functional exposure.

Learn more about your company’s goals

Be aware of your company’s goals. Get acquainted with C-level executives and try to understand their day-to-day job responsibilities. Know the number of clients, types of projects, and the scope of work your company is doing for them. Read the yearly, half-yearly, and quarterly financial results of your company and study competitors. Most importantly, try to understand the job roles of your reporting manager.

Align yourself with your company

To move up the corporate ladder faster, you need to align your competencies with organizational objectives. Also you need to understand organizational behavior better and re-adjust your behavior accordingly. The deeper you connect with your organization’s purpose and values, the better your performance will be. You will also be in a better position to lead.

Understand business case and not just technical know-how

Remember the saying – If you know how to do something, and you do it, you’ll always have a job. But if you know why it is done, you will be the boss. Every business has a larger context and a greater vision and mission that goes beyond producing a product or fulfilling a service request. When you understand a business case well, you not only understand the reason behind the business decision but also the interest of all key stakeholders.

Keep working beyond your assigned job descriptions. Continue building on your skills and garner adequate knowledge outside your job role. Chose a field (related to your work) and try to become an expert in it. If you are not getting growth opportunities within your organization, look outside. The key is to keep building leadership competencies and keep your work ethics very high.