親愛的安妮：我在一家大型跨國公司工作，希望能晉升到一個管理崗位。我該如何讓上司知道我的升遷愿望？我不希望讓他以為我想搶他的飯碗（我確實不想）。而且，我也希望解釋清楚，我并不想離開這家公司，除非我別無選擇。

????另外一個問題：公司其他部門或許會有管理機會，但這些部門與我們相距甚遠，我根本沒有機會讓他們了解我，對于那里的政治動態我也一無所知。您有什么建議嗎？——L.A.

親愛的L.A.：在理想情況下，向上司表示自己希望得到升職，是一件很容易的事情。你只需要把對我說的話，再對他說一遍就可以了。畢竟，許多公司至少在口頭上都是支持這種觀點的，即管理者的任務，很大一部分是培養人才，輔導未來的領導者。

????但即便如此，約翰?比森說：“很少有大公司會特別關注幫助員工規劃一條清晰的職業發展路線，這很令人震驚”。雖然有數不清的研究都已經表明，這樣做是留住明星員工最保險的方式。紐約市比森咨詢公司（Beeson Consulting）的負責人比森曾寫過一本書《潛規則：升值六大必殺技》（The Unwritten Rules: The Six Skills You Need to Get Promoted to the Executive Level），值得一讀。

????比森說：“許多老板認為，‘野心’是一個非常令人討厭的詞匯。不論你的上司是不是這樣想，要跟他進行這樣的談話都需要講究些技巧?！比绻闶巧纤緦崿F自己目標所倚重的人，更要講究策略。比森在書中經常提到一種現象，他稱之為“人才囤積”?！澳軌蚺囵B出未來的領導者，獲得‘伯樂’的聲譽，對于管理者的職業發展自然有所裨益。但有時候，失去人才的負面影響要遠遠超過將他們培養成人才所帶來的好處?！?/p>

????那么，應該如何開始這種棘手的談話呢？比森建議：“首先，不要表現出任何失去耐心的跡象。相反，要明確自己是在考慮長期發展，希望能與上司持續討論自己的職業。重點是要強調你決心留在公司，同時歡迎上司幫助你確認自己需要提高哪方面的技能，讓自己能為公司做出更大的貢獻?！?/p>

????然后，請求上司幫助聯系其他管理者，包括與他平級和更高級別的管理者。比森建議：“可以這樣說：‘如果他們能就我的職業規劃提供建議，我將不勝感激，尤其是我需要發展哪些技能，以及我的能力在公司哪些地方能夠發揮最大的作用?！愎ぷ魅ψ又獾墓芾碚呋蛟S能對公司其他部門施加影響，為你敞開大門。他們會向你推薦一些不為人所知的職位空缺。所以你肯定希望在機會來臨時，他們能想起你來?！???

Dear Annie: I work for a large multinational firm, and I'd like to be considered for a promotion to a management position. How should I let my boss know about my desire to move up? I do not want to give the impression that I want his job (which I really don't want). I'd also like to make it clear that I'm not looking to leave the company, unless I have no choice.

????Another question: There are other groups within the firm where there might be management opportunities for me, but they are so remote geographically that I don't have a chance to make myself visible to them, or to get a sense of the political dynamics there. What do you suggest? -- Looking Ahead

Dear Looking: In an ideal world, mentioning to your boss that you'd like to be promoted would be easy. You could simply tell him what you just told me. After all, plenty of companies pay lip service to the idea that a big part of managers' mission is developing the talent under them and mentoring tomorrow's leaders.

????Even so, says John Beeson, "It's shocking how few big companies make it a point to help people develop a coherent career path" -- despite the fact that countless studies have shown that doing so is one of the surest ways to keep star employees from quitting. Beeson, who is head of New York City-based Beeson Consulting, wrote a book you might want to check out called The Unwritten Rules: The Six Skills You Need to Get Promoted to the Executive Level.

????"To some bosses, 'ambition' is a dirty word. Whether or not yours is one of them, this conversation is going to take some finesse," Beeson notes. That's especially true if you are someone your manager relies upon to meet his own goals. In his consulting work, Beeson often comes across a phenomenon he calls "talent hoarding." "Gaining a reputation as a 'star spotter', someone who develops future leaders, can be good for a manager's career -- but sometimes the downside of losing you outweighs that benefit."

????So how do you start this tricky conversation? "First, avoid any indication that you're impatient. Instead, make it clear that you're thinking about the long term, and you'd like to have an ongoing discussion about your career," Beeson suggests. "Emphasize that you're committed to staying with the company, and you'd welcome your boss's help in identifying which skills you need to work on, to prepare you for making a bigger contribution."

????Then, ask for your boss's help in reaching out to other managers, both at his level and one rank higher. "Say something like, 'I'd appreciate having their input into my career planning, especially what skills I need to develop and where in the company those might be most useful,'" says Beeson. "Managers outside your immediate sphere can be influential in opening doors for you in other parts of the company. They can recommend you for openings that are never posted anywhere, so you want to get on their radar screen for when the timing is right."???