Being exceptional requires getting appropriate exceptional treatment
Get good at it. Here's how.
There are many reasons for rules. Often it is wise to follow them and sometimes it is a leader's job to make them and enforce them. That said, rules are made to prevent a wrong action by a malicious or unwise employee.
If you strive to be in the top 10% of your company, then it is important to question if rules meant to keep the bottom 10% from mistakes and abuses should also apply to you.
Promotions, raises, assignments, compensation, and more always have exceptions to the "rules."
Learn to ask, "Should I be that exception?"
At this point, some of you are recoiling from this idea. You think no, that will make me demanding and annoying. I do not want to be that loud person, that entitled schemer. I should not have to. I do great work. As long as I do it, I should be noticed and rewarded.
Hoping to be noticed is not a strategy.
Your boss is a busy person. They may not be good at taking time to reward hard work. They have other people who are advocating for themselves asking for things.
As a boss, it's easier to just grease the squeaky wheel.
So how do you ask for an exception in an effective way?
It may be emotionally hard but it is not complicated, say:
"Boss, I think we should make an exception in this case for reasons A, B, and C. Doing so will bring benefits X and Y. How can we do that?"
Show them the benefits for them and the company, not just you.
Note that often getting an exception is as easy as simply asking. The boss often has the power and the willingness to change the system, they simply are not thinking about doing so. Sometimes you will have to fight for a change, but try asking and sometimes magic will happen. Try it!
I am not advocating becoming a demanding prima donna.
I am advocating that if you work hard to be exceptional then you also work hard at getting useful exceptional treatment that allows you to move forward and get more done.
Because someone is... So why not you?
—> If you seek rapid career growth, read my post on The Magic Loop framework (see image below). It worked for me and countless mentees and direct reports.
Audience Insights
I have consolidated additional ideas worth considering from my LinkedIn audience, including:
You don’t ask, you don’t get. You might still not get it but you will definitely not get it if you don’t ask. Especially, if it’s a promotion. I would likely not promote anyone who didn’t come and asked about the process, extra challenge, scope increase and additional coaching and demonstrated a desire to grow. Those who ask, but not demand, will likely see better outcomes.
If you want to be in the top 1% at a relentlessly competitive company, you either have to be so good they cannot ignore you, have unique relationships with the right people, or be known as a change agent and someone people can trust. Being a change agent means you cannot be status quo. Steve Jobs said “…the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo…”
If you want to “Think Different” I wrote a post on the systematic ways anyone can learn to Think Big.
The Magic Loop - a simple, reliable method to quickly grow your career.
Applicable to remote, in-person, and hybrid employees, I developed The Growth and Promotion Recipe course to give you step-by-step instructions on how to grow your career. Learn new skills, get support from your manager, and get a detailed path to promotion.
Watch the below course introduction video to see what you get.
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