Business is supposed to be a meritocracy. The better you perform, the more rewards you receive, whether in the form of promotions or pay. And many businesses are like that because their leaders know that basing reward on performance is good for morale, productivity and the bottom line.

But, as we all know, that is not always the case. People whose performance is superior may end up losing out to others who have not performed as well. If you have been in such a situation, what can you do to improve your chances of receiving the recognition you deserve?

Well-known consultant Harvey Coleman has identified three essential elements that are necessary for career advancement.

Performance.

Performance may not be the only thing you need to succeed, but it is still important. You cannot climb the corporate ladder without performing. But, it only contributes about 10 percent to your eventual success.

Image.

This, according to Coleman, is even more important than performance, in fact, about three times more important. So, you need to ask yourself, what is your image in your organization? How do other people see you? Do others enjoy working with you? Do they see you as someone who is a leader, a professional, ambitious? As someone who gets things done, who really makes a contribution, who adds value and new ideas?

Exposure

This is the third element of our success troika. It accounts for a whopping 60 percent of a person’s success. You can be the absolute best at what you do, but if no one knows what you can do, or what you have done, it doesn’t really help you in your climb to the top. You need to make sure your supervisor knows what your contributions and accomplishments are.

For example, one executive describes his thought process when someone puts forth a name for a promotion. The executive begins to think what he knows about this person – whether he has met the person, what he has heard about the person, whether he has read anything by or about the person, whether he has seen any presentation by the person.

If the executive draws a blank on all of these questions, he is most likely to dismiss the person as not really being a serious candidate.

If you are looking for work, send your resume to a recruiter at Winston Resources, one of the best in New York City. We can help you get connected with some of New York City’s best employers. Contact us today.