Delivering Significant Business Value: Present the Results and Ask for the Raise

In the previous blog posts, we talked about establishing metrics to measure your targeted process, then about planning and implementing the improvements. The final step is to present your results. Don’t just wait until your next review or job interview. Let your manager understand the value of your work so you can ask for a raise.

“Smart self-promoters show up prepared.” Peggy Klaus, Author of Tooting Your Own Horn without Blowing It

If you’ve executed the first three steps correctly, this fourth and final step should be a joy for everyone involved.  Let others know what you’ve done.

Present the Results

Helen did a great job publicizing their success. In presentations, posters, or a chance meeting with an executive, she stated their results clearly, concisely, and related them to corporate goals. This approach established the value that Helen and her department brought to their company.

COGS ECO Metrics, Before, During and After COGS Project in June

“This above graph illustrates that the number of ECOs created per month are approximately constant, but there was a backlog. We hired one engineer from the agency who worked exclusively on documenting the COGS ECO’s so they could be approved and implemented. With cooperation from manufacturing, we got all of the ECO’s implemented within 3 months. This represented a savings of $3.5M.  The backlog is now at zero. We’re now looking for other areas to improve.”

They presented the results in a variety of ways from a formal presentation to the executive staff to posted signs in the break room for everyone to see. As a result, executives and others started seeing the Engineering Document Control team as a strategic contributor.

Bring measurable benefits to your company, and let people know what you accomplished to elevate your career discussions from pay to value.

Harvey Mudd College president Maria Klawe recommended role playing the salary meeting with someone you trust. Helen did this until she was comfortable with her plan.

Now, she was ready to ask for the raise she thought she deserved. She made an appointment with her director and walked him through the targeted process, the metrics, the improvement and the results.

Note: These are some best practices I’ve found. It’s not an exhaustive list. It’s meant to start a conversation.  Comment with your response, your ideas and your experiences. If you email them to me, I can post them with a pseudonym or no name. Thank you!