By Thomas Davis, CRNA, MAE, DNAP candidate

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Promotions play an essential role in the success of an employee and his organization.   Workers who are recognized and rewarded for their job performance and work ethic tend to develop loyalty to the organization and work even harder to prove that they merit promotion.  As a result, organizations benefit because morale and creativity will be high and employee turnover will be low; both of which are improved when deserving people receive earned promotions.

Employers collectively spend millions of dollars on research and consultants intended to improve the morale and production of the company workforce.  Behavior and neuro sciences help the employer’s managers build superior teams by collaborating with psychologists to gain insight into the profile of the perfect worker.  Author Emily Smykal (2016) identifies work ethic, positive attitude, dependability, and effective, team-oriented communication as skills possessed by the perfect team member.   In a companion article, Smykal describes behavior geared to get high achievers promoted as collaboration, reliability, honesty, ownership, effort, creativity and hard work.

Save your research money and go back to your roots to find the secret of earning a promotion.  In his book, All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten, author, Robert Fulghum, lists 15 lessons learned in kindergarten that enable you to live a balanced and successful life both at home and at work.  Tips such as, “clean up your mess,” and “don’t hit anyone,” are on the list of desired behaviors.

Based on my experience as a Chief nurse anesthetist, I am convinced that we make earning a promotion much more difficult than it needs to be.  My 7-year old grandson learned socialization skills in kindergarten and is now a proud cub scout who is all in trying to learn and follow the scout law.  In reviewing the 12 points of his new code for life, I am struck that his code of conduct describes my ideal employee and the person whom I would select for promotion.  Tailoring your work behavior to follow the 12-point scout law will make you an ideal employee and first in line for a promotion.

The Scout Law

Be Trustworthy   Trust is a foundational building block of a highly effective workplace and it requires that everyone on the team can be trusted.  Show your trustworthiness by arriving on time, completing your assigned tasks and showing sincerity in saying what you mean and following through.  Create an environment of trust by being scrupulously honest.

Be Loyal   Show loyalty to your colleagues by sticking with them through good and bad times.  Show loyalty to your superior and the company by doing your job well and taking pride in your work.

Be Helpful    Those who are helpful freely give assistance to colleagues who are having difficulty with an assignment.  Helpers assist and coach others without crossing the line and playing rescuer.

Be Friendly   Being friendly and upbeat is something that we all understand and can be as simple as putting on a smile and a positive disposition.  Take a sincere interest in colleagues as an act of friendship.  Keep confidences.  Friends don’t gossip.

Be Courteous   Show respect for others by listening attentively when they speak and keep people informed when plans change.  Never embarrass a co-worker and always respect their personal needs.

Be Kind   Opportunities for acts of kindness exist with every interaction that you have with another person.  Give sincere compliments, thank others promptly as appropriate and do small things for the team.  As unremarkable as it may seem, making a new pot of coffee may be appreciated as an act of kindness.

Be Obedient   Policies and procedures exist in the workplace for a reason and they set the boundaries for expected behavior.  Follow the rules and guidelines, and never intentionally put your supervisor in a position where she/he must defend you or explain your behavior.

Be Cheerful   Happy, pleasant workers elevate the mood of an entire team.  A smile and a friendly greeting is contagious and prompts others to reply in kind. An upbeat attitude is energizing for both you and those around you.

Be Thrifty   Overhead expenses exist with any job and the thrifty employee ensures that the department and the organization get value for the money.  Eliminate wasting both time and resources by giving a full day’s effort every day.  Never take-home supplies from the workplace.

Be Brave    Demonstrating bravery in the workplace is not a matter of placing yourself in the path of physical harm.  Rather, brave workers have the courage of their convictions, they are forthright and will not compromise personal values.  Bravely stand up for what you know is right and never compromise your integrity.

Be Clean    Cleanliness is all encompassing and includes your body, mind and workplace.  Maintain your personal hygiene and the orderliness of your workspace.  Think or verbalize clean thoughts regarding colleagues, clients, your employer and the bad referee call during Sunday’s big game.

Be Reverent   A pervasive, deep feeling of respect arising from trust and loyalty unites a group of individuals into a cohesive team.  View your job as a special place and feel privileged to work with colleagues who are also following the scout law.

Behavior scientists and business gurus have saturated the blogs with tips for those seeking promotion at work; however, none have offered advice that will position you better than following the scout law.  At your next performance review, when you’re asked why you deserve a promotion, go through the 12 points of the scout law and give examples your behavior supporting each element.  Consciously living the law will make it who you are and engrain it into your personality. Start as a cub, live the law, and fly like an eagle.

Tom is a respected leader, speaker and clinical anesthetist.  Contact tom@procrna.com for a list of topics and availability to speak at your next meeting.