Make the Corporate Final Four: Improve Your Business Seed
That’s right, we here at Newly Corporate are already caught up in March Madness and, before you are tired of them, I want to share a quick analogy that occurred to me while filling out my brackets. In most of the business world, especially large businesses, hiring decisions are made in much the same way brackets are filled out. Employees are evaluated on the basis of a number of key metrics and then promoted. May the best man win, right?
Whether we like it or not, most of us are evaluated according to this approach so, how can you increase your seed in the corporate promotion brackets and eventually make ti to the Final Four or the Championship? Let’s break it down according to the high level stats Yahoo provides it’s bracket selection users.
Seed: This is the overall tournament rating given to a team by the selection committee, in your case this is the aggregate score you are assigned by everyone who is making promotion decisions. Sometimes this is an explicit number like a “promotability score”, other times it just exists as an impression in the mind of decision makers.
Ways to improve: Increase your win record (see below), be flexible, become more visible (or even more visible), drive emergent change, improve your resume.
Conference Rank (and Record): Often times where you stand amongst your peers is the most important aspect of your success. If you are the best in your group, it increases your chance of promotion. Plus, if you are in a very competitive group (ie the Big East versus Missouri Valley), you have a better shot at top leadership positions.
Ways to improve: Succeed in getting projects done well, soften your change to ensure success.
AP Rank (and Overall Record): Your AP rank is equivalent to your ranking in the corporate world as a whole, it is more development based because relies on common comparative metrics like degrees, credentials, awards and other forms of recognition as well as where you work (ie strength of schedule).
Ways to improve: Always take extra training, work for a great company, consider an MBA or advanced degree.
Record Vs. Top 25: How do you execute when working with the best? Can you perform in high pressure situations?
Ways to improve: The only real way to improve this is to put yourself in high pressure situations by being in a leadership program or volunteering for special projects.
User Picks: How to others perceive you? This is crucial to being a good leader and eventually being promoted. Do people believe in you? Are you viewed as a leader? Would people want to work for you? Do they even know you?
Ways to improve: Network, stand out and succeed in your first management position.
Secret Sauce/Insider Scoop: This one isn’t included as a written metric. It’s not on the bracketology sites, nor is it easy to understand but, some teams and people just have it. What are your insider tips for success?Add them in the comments!
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Tags: Career Development, Change, Leadership, Recruiting, SportsRelated posts
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