5 Secrets to climbing the ladder faster - CEOs and other top execs share tips for getting where you want to be

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/4c/ar5l1zm69j6yhj3vc54c.gif?time=12/8/2010%202:51:08%20pm" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/4c/ar5l1zm69j6yhj3vc54c.gif?time=12/8/2010%202:51:08%20pm" /></a></div>By Beth Braccio Hering, Special to CareerBuilder <br /><br />Sometimes getting from where you are to where you'd like to be career-wise can seem like a daunting task. While time and experience certainly help, there are other actions that can speed the process along. Here, executives in a variety of fields share their tips on how to move up the ladder a bit faster.<br /><br />Accumulate knowledge<br /><br />"Knowledge is power," states Linda Matzigkeit, senior vice president of strategic planning and human resources for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "You need to read about your industry, know what people are doing and keep your edge on innovation."Anthony Leone, founder of Energy Kitchen, a restaurant franchise based in New York City, agrees. "Learn as much as you possibly can in your chosen field. Become such an asset to your company that the owners tell themselves, 'We cannot live without this person.'" He further suggests asking your boss what skills would most benefit the company, then going out and learning them "to the point that they just roll off your tongue, like your phone number."<br /><br />Know how to ask questions<br /><br />Armed with a solid understanding of their field, workers who gain attention are ones who know how to ask appropriate questions.<br /><br />"Asking good questions is an art," states Elizabeth Sobol, managing director of IMG Artists, North America. "I will be much more impressed if you ask me good ones than if you talk over me, trying to show me how much you know."<br /><br />Similarly, employees should not worry that asking questions is a sign of ineptitude. "Do not be afraid to admit that you do not understand something," says Robert Stack, president and CEO of Community Options Inc., a national nonprofit organization that develops homes and employment for people with disabilities. "There is nothing wrong with not knowing; it is not asking or pretending to understand that always seems to have negative ramifications."<br /><br />Think outside yourself<br /><br />People who move up quickly are often ones who are good at examining the needs and goals of the company as a whole, not just in their own particular niche. Matzigkeit says that because her field (health care) is very specialized, it is easy to get deep in your own area. "In order to advance and truly identify ways you can have continued impact in an organization, you need to get connected to the big picture. Only then can you develop your skills, broaden your exposure and find ways to apply your transferable skills."<br /><br />For managers looking to advance, Randy Murphy -- president and CEO of the restaurant franchise Mama Fu's Asian House -- suggests wandering around. "Have a presence in your store, and always know what is going on with your guests, employees and overall operations." He also notes that ambitious employees should always be looking for their own replacement. "Develop and train those under you so the team overall does better and so that you have a quality replacement to free you up for promotion to the next level."<br /><br />Give it your all<br /><br />Of course one of the best ways to gain notice is to be a solid performer. "If you execute flawlessly, you will have a solid reputation, which will allow you to network into the right circles," states Brian Curin, president of the footwear chain Flip Flop Shops.<br /><br />"Go beyond the job description," Stack adds. "If you are a person who is supposed to help persons with disparities find jobs, then work extra hours and get creative. If you are supposed to help with fundraising, go out of your way to ask someone you do not know for support. Always be a little early, and always ask you manager what you can do that means a little extra."<br /><br />Let your passion shine through<br /><br />Doing all of these things, from learning as much as possible about a field to regularly giving 100 percent, can involve a great deal of time and effort. Some employees will look at these challenges as obstacles to overcome in order to get ahead. Others will view them with enthusiasm because they truly have a passion for their field. Guess who usually moves up faster?<br /><br />Sobol says that she is impressed by people "who are fascinated by our business and are clearly always trying to learn and understand more about it," adding that "it is not hard to glean who is doing it out of genuine interest and who is not, so don't try to fake it!"<br /><br />For those who lack that passion, maybe it's time to consider looking for a new ladder to climb. The rungs might not seem so hard to navigate when the journey upward is already enjoyable.<br /><br />Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

5 Secrets to climbing the ladder faster - CEOs and other top execs share tips for getting where you want to be

By Beth Braccio Hering, Special to CareerBuilder Sometimes getting from where you are to where you'd like to be career-wise can seem lik...

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Who Is My Neighbor? Muslims In America

I just finished Barbara Kingsolver’s excellent novel, The Lacuna. It’s about a good-hearted young man who grew up in Mexico, became a popular American novelist, and was then done in the House Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy era because as a teenager he had been a cook for Diego Rivera. It all seemed so odd. I wondered if Peru has a problem with Un-Peruvian Activities. I wondered what an Un-Italian activity would be? The story was about a historic oddity when we had panicked over the spread of communism to China and Eastern Europe. We look back and shake our heads in wonder.<br /><br />But today I tuned in to see the House Commmittee On Homeland Security hearings investigating Muslims in America. This strikes me as more disturbing than McCarthy. Here the “association” that makes one suspect is a religious association – an association protected by the 1st Amendment’s “free exercise clause.” I can live with the intrusive searches at airports and the surveillance of all sorts of communications. I am grateful to the Department of Homeland Security for its remarkable success in stifling terrorism. But this action of the House Committee is a troubling intrusion of government into religious practice.<br /><br />Bob Herbert’s editorial “Flailing After Muslims” in the March 8 New York Times expresses most of my concern. He says of our past instances of demonizing religions, races, or ethnic groups, “there have always been people willing to stand up boldly and courageously against such injustice. Their efforts are needed now.” Despite the committee chair’s claim that Muslims do not cooperate with law enforcement, Herbert notes that of the 120 Muslims accused of terrorist plots in the past decade, 48 were turned in by other Muslims. What he does not say is that targeting Muslims is fodder for anti-American propaganda and actually increases our risk of attack as well as diminishing our credibility in international relations.<br /><br />So I am all the more struck by the generosity of spirit in Akbar Ahmed’s excellent article “Fair To Muslims?” also in the March 8 New York Times, in which as a Muslim he says, “The topic is urgent and the hearings overdue . . . . Muslims should embrace the chance to explain their beliefs fully and clearly.” Ahmed paints an honest and mixed picture of the situation today. Having traveled the length and breadth of our land studying the experience of American Muslims post 9-11, he has heard the stories of school children called terrorists, women attacked for wearing the hajib, and mosques vandalized. He has heard Bill O’Reilly compare the Koran to Mein Kampf.<br /><br />But he has also heard Muslims say that America is the best country in the world to be a Muslim and heard a Nigerian Muslim say that Thomas Jefferson is “at the top of my heart.” Ahmed writes of the slow, steady process of reconciliation that has been achieved through interfaith dialogue over the years. So I will try to open my mind about the House Committee on Homeland Security hearings. God may bring good out of it. As Job said to his brothers, “You meant it to me for evil, but the Lord used it for good.”<br /><br />I am very pleased to see strong Muslim participation in Las Vegas Valley Interfaith. Here Christians, Muslims, and Jews are not looking for bomb making materials in each other’s closets. We are working together to fight the sexual exploitation of children. Neither terrorists nor congressional committees will distract us from the real mission of mediating God’s love to a hurting world.

Who Is My Neighbor? Muslims In America

I just finished Barbara Kingsolver’s excellent novel, The Lacuna. It’s about a good-hearted young man who grew up in Mexico, became a popula...

Read more »