7 steps to get a raise without asking for one

7 steps to get a raise without asking for one7 steps to get a raise without asking for oneWe all want to get ahead. Still, even when it seems youre doing everything right - youre never late to work, rarely take a sick day, and always meet deadlines - promotions can be few and far between.Youre putting the work in, so why arent you getting rewarded? The answer is simple you dont get promoted for fulfilling your babos expectations.Your anfhrers expectations are the price of entry. Even if youre making a great effort and doing all thats asked of you, you wont stand out. Youll be seen as someone who completes the minimum requirements, and no one who builds a great career is seen this way.The trick to advancing your career and getting paid more is to add value by making certain your contributions are worth more than youre paid. You want to go above and beyond so that youre seen as someone highly valuable- someone the organization cant live without.You should aim to exceed your babos exp ectations so much that he feels likehesthe smartest guy in the world for hiringyou.This isnt as hard as it sounds. In fact, you can blow your bosss mind and make it clear that youre ready for a raise in seven easy steps.1. Beyond developing the skills you need for your job, learn about your companys industry, competitors, latest developments, and challengesProfessional development is important, but why stop there? If you really want to blow your bosss mind, soak up everything you can about your company and your industry. For example, if youre an IT developer, instead of simply learning the current best practices in coding, learn how those practices are being applied throughout your industry.Transferring your knowledge to the real-world context of your organization is a great way to add value. On top of knowing how to do your job, it shows that you know why youre doing it and why it matters.2. Instead of always having the answer, pre-empt the questionIts a good feeling when you can a nswer your bosss questions on the spot, without shuffling through piles of paper or telling her that youll have to get back to her.But if you really want to blow her mind, pre-empt the question. Anticipate what she wants to stay on top of, and send her regular updates. Youll save her time and energy, and shell appreciate that just as much as your enthusiasm.3. Instead of owning up to mistakes once theyre discovered, bring them to light yourself.Accountability is a lost art. Too many people try to cover up their mistakes, fearing the repercussions of admitting fault. Show your boss that youre not afraid to own up to your mistakes, and hell be amazed. When you make a mistake, just give your boss a simple heads-up, and have a solution ready. Even better, tell him the steps youve already taken to mitigate the problem.Everyone makes mistakes. Youll stand out by showing your boss that youre accountable, creative, and proactive when you inevitably make them.4. Instead of asking for trainin g, do it on your ownTypical career advice is to ask your boss to send you to classes and workshops to improve your skills. But were not talking about whats typical were talking about blowing your bosss mind. Pursue training yourself, on your own time.It doesnt have to be expensive there are plenty of online courses available free or close to free. While everybody else is asking the boss to send them to training, you can tell her what youve already done, and your initiative will be rewarded. Youll save the company money and get ahead, and expand your skillset at the same time.5. Instead of doing what youre told, be proactiveAnybody (well, alfruchtwein anybody) can do what theyre told. To blow your bosss mind, you have to be proactive. If you see a problem, fix it. If you see something that needs doing, do it. Put together a how-to guide for new hires, document your processes and figure out where you can streamline them, or do whatever else you can think of to make a difference.Bosses appreciate vision more than anything.They love it when you see what could be useful to the company over the long term - and dont forget to tell your boss about it. Its only kissing up if you do it manipulatively or with the plan of making your co-workers look bad. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with owning your accomplishments.6. Build relationships with other departmentsIts practically guaranteed that, at some point, your department will need help or input from another area. An excellent way to blow your bosss mind is to build relationships throughout the company. Person-to-person interactions are alfruchtwein always more effective than department-to-department exchanges.You can make your bosss day by saying, Why dont I take care of that for you? I know someone who can get that done for us right away.7. Be the calm one in a crisisFew things get your bosss attention like your ability to weather a storm. Whether its conflict between people, everyone freaking out over a rule change , or what have you, make certain that youre the one who remains calm, composed, and in control of your emotions. Your composure and ability to think clearly during a crisis demonstrates leadership potential, and leaders get promoted.Bringing it all togetherThe people who achieve the most are those who add the most value. Business is, after all, about making a profit. You want your boss and the company to know that theyre getting a great return on the time and money theyre investing in you.Travis Bradberry is the coauthor ofEmotional Intelligence 2.0and the cofounder ofTalentSmart.This article originally appeared onLinkedIn.7 steps to get a raise without asking for oneWe all want to get ahead. Still, even when it seems youre doing everything right - youre never late to work, rarely take a sick day, and always meet deadlines - promotions can be few and far between.Youre putting the work in, so why arent you getting rewarded? The answer is simple you dont get promoted for fulfilling your bosss expectations.Your bosss expectations are the price of entry. Even if youre making a great effort and doing all thats asked of you, you wont stand out. Youll be seen as someone who completes the minimum requirements, and no one who builds a great career is seen this way.The trick to advancing your career and getting paid more is to add value by making certain your contributions are worth more than youre paid. You want to go above and beyond so that youre seen as someone highly valuable- someone the organization cant live without.You should aim to exceed your bosss expectations so much that he feels likehesthe smartest guy in the world for hiringyou.This isnt as hard as it sounds. In fact, you can blow your bosss mind and make it clear that youre ready for a raise in seven easy steps.1. Beyond developing the skills you need for your job, learn about your companys industry, competitors, latest developments, and challengesProfessional development is important, but why stop th ere? If you really want to blow your bosss mind, soak up everything you can about your company and your industry. For example, if youre an IT developer, instead of simply learning the current best practices in coding, learn how those practices are being applied throughout your industry.Transferring your knowledge to the real-world context of your organization is a great way to add value. On top of knowing how to do your job, it shows that you know why youre doing it and why it matters.2. Instead of always having the answer, pre-empt the questionIts a good feeling when you can answer your bosss questions on the spot, without shuffling through piles of paper or telling her that youll have to get back to her.But if you really want to blow her mind, pre-empt the question. Anticipate what she wants to stay on top of, and send her regular updates. Youll save her time and energy, and shell appreciate that just as much as your enthusiasm.3. Instead of owning up to mistakes once theyre disco vered, bring them to light yourself.Accountability is a lost art. Too many people try to cover up their mistakes, fearing the repercussions of admitting fault. Show your boss that youre not afraid to own up to your mistakes, and hell be amazed. When you make a mistake, just give your boss a simple heads-up, and have a solution ready. Even better, tell him the steps youve already taken to mitigate the problem.Everyone makes mistakes. Youll stand out by showing your boss that youre accountable, creative, and proactive when you inevitably make them.4. Instead of asking for training, do it on your ownTypical career advice is to ask your boss to send you to classes and workshops to improve your skills. But were not talking about whats typical were talking about blowing your bosss mind. Pursue training yourself, on your own time.It doesnt have to be expensive there are plenty of online courses available free or close to free. While everybody else is asking the boss to send them to trainin g, you can tell her what youve already done, and your initiative will be rewarded. Youll save the company money and get ahead, and expand your skillset at the same time.5. Instead of doing what youre told, be proactiveAnybody (well, almost anybody) can do what theyre told. To blow your bosss mind, you have to be proactive. If you see a problem, fix it. If you see something that needs doing, do it. Put together a how-to guide for new hires, document your processes and figure out where you can streamline them, or do whatever else you can think of to make a difference.Bosses appreciate vision more than anything.They love it when you see what could be useful to the company over the long term - and dont forget to tell your boss about it. Its only kissing up if you do it manipulatively or with the intention of making your co-workers look bad. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with owning your accomplishments.6. Build relationships with other departmentsIts practically guaranteed that, at s ome point, your department will need help or input from another area. An excellent way to blow your bosss mind is to build relationships throughout the company. Person-to-person interactions are almost always more effective than department-to-department exchanges.You can make your bosss day by saying, Why dont I take care of that for you? I know someone who can get that done for us right away.7. Be the calm one in a crisisFew things get your bosss attention like your ability to weather a storm. Whether its conflict between people, everyone freaking out over a rule change, or what have you, make certain that youre the one who remains calm, composed, and in control of your emotions. Your composure and ability to think clearly during a crisis demonstrates leadership potential, and leaders get promoted.Bringing it all togetherThe people who achieve the most are those who add the most value. Business is, after all, about making a profit. You want your boss and the company to know that th eyre getting a great return on the time and money theyre investing in you.Travis Bradberry is the coauthor ofEmotional Intelligence 2.0and the cofounder ofTalentSmart.This article originally appeared onLinkedIn.