8

Rating ? Qualities ?
Applicable
Well Structured
Concrete Examples

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Advance
The Ultimate How-To Guide for Your Career
Gary Burnison • Wiley © 2019 • 336 pages

Career / Career Strategies

Take-Aways
• You have the tools to advance your own career.
• Be strategic when asking for a raise.
• Bad managers are manageable.
• Prioritize effective communication with co-workers and don’t feel limited by office hierarchies.
• Make meetings and presentations compelling.
• Managing for the first time is a surmountable challenge.
• Don’t dread networking.
• Working overseas can be an excellent opportunity.
• Nurture your emotional intelligence and adopt a lifelong learning mind-set.
• The “90-Day Career Diet” sets the stage for success with a new company.

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 Recommendation
In Advance: The Ultimate How-To Guide for Your Career, CEO Gary Burnison of management consulting
firm Korn Ferry provides many actionable tips to break out of a professional dead-end and get on the
road to success. Burnison is as entertaining as he is helpful, offering memorable anecdotes to illustrate
his points. The book includes timeless advice common to the management genre, though Burnison also
effectively covers today’s globalized and digitized workplace. Some of Burnison’s techniques are less helpful
than others (he’s a bit overly fond of acrostic mnemonic devices), but readers will appreciate his checklists,
self-quizzes and concrete examples.

Summary

You have the tools to advance your own career.

It can be tempting to blame your boss, team or company for feeling stuck, professionally. Few people realize
that it’s up to them to take action about the state of their careers. Others think they’re taking the right steps,
but are mistaken. Most careers follow a six-stage path, with variations in order and length of time in each
role:

1. Follower – Younger employees, just starting out in their careers, fall into this category.
2. Collaborator – These employees work together with their peers and develop better people skills.
3. Instructor – These workers have learned enough to teach others.
4. Manager – These individuals can oversee larger teams, projects and goals.
5. Influencer – This less hands-on role might entail leading multiple departments.
6. Leader – This role is focused on delegating work and motivating others to achieve.

An employee can move up within an organization or by moving to a new company. To advance within an
organization, build a record of clear, measurable achievements tied to company objectives; get on teams
that increase knowledge and show commitment; identify overlooked improvement areas; and operate as
if you are already occupying a more elevated role. Target opportunities and build relationships outside the
organization to keep doors open elsewhere.

“Research shows that people who greatly overstate their abilities are 6.2 times more
likely to derail than those who have accurate self-awareness.”

To advance your career, you need a flexible, international mind-set for the digital, globalized age. You must
be comfortable with ambiguity, as higher-level workers often deal with complex situations with no clear
solution. You must adapt to change, and get accustomed to shorter product cycles. Be honest with yourself
about your strengths and weaknesses. Lack of self-awareness can dead-end a career, even if a worker has
potential. To boost self-awareness, gather and assess feedback often.

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 Be strategic when asking for a raise.

Earning more money can help employees feel less stuck – but many workers don’t feel comfortable
asking for a boost in pay. There are a few ways to advance a few rungs up the salary ladder without the
awkwardness.

First, research what pay bump is fair based on the position, industry, region and market conditions. Don’t
act rashly, complain or be a “Lying Larry,” pretending to have a better job offer when that’s not in fact the
case. Ask your boss for input on what accomplishments they’d like to see before granting a raise, and keep
in mind that the higher the salary, the better the expected performance. Plan a polite, upbeat response if the
request gets rejected. Keep a sense of perspective. People nowadays often only stay in roles for a year or two
before moving on to higher-paying gigs.

Bad managers are manageable.

You can’t change your boss or control his or her behavior, but you can alter how you respond to
leadership. Build trust and accountability by asking for frank feedback. Communicate proactively with your
boss.

“One of the biggest mistakes people make with bosses is focusing on trying to change
them.”

Figure out what makes your boss tick, as this can help with handling his or her expectations and goals.
Remember that, sometimes, what seems like a problem is actually just unclear communication or a
misunderstanding. Curb inappropriate actions with firm, yet polite responses. For example, if your boss
crosses boundaries by sending emails and messages late at night, commit to only responding during actual
work hours. Responding even just once undermines the precedent. If these methods don’t work, it might be
time to leave the company and pursue a new opportunity.

Prioritize effective communication with co-workers and don’t feel limited by office
hierarchies.

Functional relationships with co-workers are critical to a rewarding work environment. When you find
yourself in conflict with a co-worker, ask questions to determine the origin of the problem and potential
solutions, rather than assuming knowledge. Avoid putting the person on the spot, as this might make
them defensive. Emphasize shared goals over differences. Telling the boss about the interpersonal
problem can be helpful if dealing with it one-on-one isn’t successful. Embrace constructive conflict as
part of a healthy and diverse working environment. Expand your influence within your organization by
identifying individuals who can expedite work and by earning their trust. Underestimate no one, even if they
don’t have impressive titles – janitors and receptionists can hold a surprising amount of influence.

Communicate effectively in person and using technology. Keep emails concise, but polite. Never send a
message in anger. Always check spelling and the address line. Explain problems without throwing people
under the bus or complaining. Follow up on commitments and promises. Regular communication is

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 particularly important if you are working remotely. Frequent check-ins by email or text make your work
more visible. Come into the office strategically, such as when a regional manager is visiting. During video
calls or meetings, don’t disengage while on mute. Use co-working spaces as networking opportunities.

Managing for the first time is a surmountable challenge.

Moving up in an organization can be rewarding, but intimidating. Increase your likelihood of success by
leading with actions, not just words. Base your leadership around measurable results of the team. Give clear
goals to your team and be transparent about why those goals matter.

Resist the temptation to complete tasks simply because you feel you can do them better or more quickly;
letting your team learn from experience is more effective and efficient over the long term. Offer constructive
feedback and listen to concerns. Be more of an educator and confidant than a dictator. Identify what
motivates the team and translate self-interest into group interest. Avoid rookie mistakes, like gossiping,
playing favorites or letting nonperformance fester to the point of hurting outcomes. Be mindful of tone and
professionalism, particularly in written communications.

Make meetings and presentations compelling.

Question if holding a meeting is truly necessary. If it is, have a goal and an agenda for every meeting
scheduled. Think about the meeting’s purpose: Are you brainstorming, decision-making or relaying
information? The purpose dictates whom to invite, how long the meeting should last and what materials to
pass out. Distribute any needed materials well in advance, and ensure everyone knows what they’re expected
to produce and by what date after the meeting. Promote open dialogue. Don’t fear conflict; constructive
disagreement can yield excellent solutions. Set behavioral ground rules at the start.

If presenting to an audience, remember that posture, pacing, breathing, gestures and tone matter. Rely
minimally on slides or visuals. Make eye contact with attendees and tailor the message to them. Record
practice sessions and review them for improvements. Arrive early, anticipate questions, use supporting
examples or interesting anecdotal details, and have materials prepared long before the presentation. Be
concise and watch the clock. Admit to and apologize sincerely for mistakes or gaffes.

Don’t dread networking.

Networking is critical for everyone, but especially for people looking for their next opportunity.
Actively seek out connections with people who can mentor, champion or provide you with an outside
perspective. Networking becomes less awkward if it’s habitual.

“The bigger your internal network, the more opportunities you’ll have to grow.”

The question is not just what connections can do for you, but what you can do for your connections.
Expressing gratitude helps your connections feel appreciated. Updating social media profiles and pages also
creates opportunities to stay in touch with well-wishers and otherwise strengthen networking relationships.
Ambushing people, ignoring emails, complaining or lacking a clear objective can all hurt your chances of
networking success.

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 Working overseas can be an excellent opportunity.

Job transfers abroad can help employees demonstrate their value. The transition can be challenging,
however. When presented with an overseas opportunity, first ask for details, like how long you will
stay, how you will be compensated and what will await you upon your return. Once abroad, act graciously,
respect your host country, keep an open mind, ask lots of questions and engage in local social rituals. Accept
that mistakes are inevitable. Remember that the sacrifices required – missing family, jet lag – are temporary
and strategic. Take extra care to communicate clearly with your supervisor. Treat your time overseas as an
expansion of your network to the global realm.

Nurture your emotional intelligence and adopt a lifelong learning mind-set.

To contribute effectively to a team (and perhaps, eventually, lead it), employees must not only demonstrate
left-brain logic, but also, show right-brain emotional aptitude: sociability, curiosity, adaptability, attention to
detail and empathy. To become a high performer, you should also demonstrate influence, assertiveness and
an ability to navigate ambiguity. Developing the right brain takes practice. Set up daily, weekly and monthly
self-check-ins, asking self-probing questions.

“In my mind, the people who aren’t trying to learn on the job are actually at the most risk
of being miserable.”

Employees who feel self-motivated to learn and improve continually not only perform better, but also report
more overall job satisfaction than employees who are extrinsically motivated. Employees learn about 70%
of their new skills through on-the-job assignments, 20% from peers and supervisors and 10% from specific
training and courses. Learners must take risks, make observations, draw parallels to prior experiences,
simplify key lessons to save time, gauge successes and failures, and stay agile. Complacency can be a career
killer. If, for example, you decline a growth opportunity because you fear you aren’t up to the challenge, you
may very well find yourself facing boredom or redundancy if you linger long enough in your current role.

Constant learning is especially important because most people these days are job nomads – typically
only staying in a role for a year or two. Moreover, while no one can predict the future, it’s safe to say
certain jobs won’t exist in a few decades. Given these circumstances, employees should make themselves as
indispensable as possible. Workers should periodically reevaluate themselves to stay on top of their
performance. You can also stay fresh by thinking far ahead about your next career move.

The “90-Day Career Diet” sets the stage for success with a new company.

Networking and narrow targeting are the preliminary steps to landing an interview. Reach out to peers, old
classmates, former bosses, extended networks of friends and even family in some cases. Invest the time to
build robust connections; prospective recommenders will not feel comfortable helping you if they don’t feel
they know you well. Asking for feedback on strengths and weaknesses – and genuinely using it to improve
– can foster these relationships and also help you find companies that fit your competencies, interests and
career goals.

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 Update your resume and LinkedIn page consistently. Include concise points that convey a sense of
progression and narrative. Don’t just make a dry list of prior experiences. Use white space judiciously for
readability.

“It’s a statistic you’ve probably heard quoted frequently: It takes people only seven
seconds to make a judgment about others.”

A pleasant first impression positively influences the rest of the interview. Quickly identify what kind
of interviewer you’re facing: A bumbling one may respond well to a talkative interviewee, while a
strict, organized type might want to hear more about what the interviewee will contribute to the
company. Familiarize yourself with common questions, and avoid rehearsed, inauthentic or inaccurate
responses. Look for opportunities to build rapport with the interviewer, such as commenting on sports
memorabilia, educational degree certificates or other office decor. Come to the interview having thought of a
few astute questions to ask. Emphasize unexpected qualities that make you memorable.

About the Author

Gary Burnison is the CEO of consulting firm Korn Ferry and author of several other business books.

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