In medicine you look at how "well tolerated" a drug will be related to its side effects. At work and home, many people evaluate new opportunities related to what can be well tolerated.
Yet after life, most people don't want their tombstone to read, "He tolerated stuff for other people because they paid him." Especially, when we realize that we can make more money and have more fun doing work that engages our passions.
Life is too short for doing work you don't enjoy for people you don't respect. Here are some tactics you can put into play to break through your glass ceiling:
1. Change jobs whenever you 'top out.'
If you have no place further to go with your current employer, start seeking other opportunities. Making a move every three or four years can boost your pay between 15% and 20% on average, says Alan Johnson, managing principal of Johnson Associates, a New York pay-consulting firm. "That's better than a 4% annual increase," he says.
2. Know what you're worth in the job market.
Focus on the pay rates for the job you seek, says Jack Chapman, a Wilmette, IL, compensation coach. "What matters is the market value of the job you want, not what you made in your last job," Mr. Chapman says. It's easy to get a general idea of what you're worth from compensation surveys published on the Internet.
3. Gamble on your performance.
Request a risk-based bonus based on achieving revenue or other important goals. This is a good tactic when you want the job but believe you're under paid in the company's current pay system.
Sources: www.LifeSignature.com and The Wall Street Journal, April 14, 2003
John G. Agno, Certified Executive & Business Coach, www.CoachedtoSuccess.com