Building on the positives we just discussed, I want you to now pivot in the conversation to the future, I just want you to talk about the future. I want you to show your boss, that you're not like a lot of the other employees that you have more initiative, more drive, I want you to come up with a very, very specific plan of how you can be more productive, how you can do your job better. Now, I don't want to get you into trouble and make the boss feel like you're trying to take over his or her job. But if you have other ideas on how people in your position can be more effective, can increase work and help the bottom line. I don't know any boss who doesn't really like to hear that from employees even if they don't follow up on your recommendations. So you need to give your boss a very specific plan of how you are trying to get better.
And it may be by telling your boss Hey, I'm going to all these online courses To boost my skill, so I know more about programming, or I know more about how to close the sale. Let your boss know that even when you're not on the clock, you're learning, you're thinking, you're getting more immersed in your industry, you're following all of your competitors are doing because a lot of other your colleagues at the office aren't doing that. Or you could be at a construction site. As a bricklayer, these lessons apply no matter what, show more initiative. That's what bosses want to hear. Come up with some specific concrete agenda items.
And finally, here's the kicker. And you won't hear this recommendation and other videos or books on how to ask for a raise, I would suggest you have a one page memo that you hand your boss saying here are at least 10 ideas I have on how I can be more productive. How the organization could be more productive things I want to do better differently. Now, you're not just going off and doing them. You're not asking necessarily for a promotion. But you're building the case for why you deserve a raise.
So that's your homework right now. And this may be hard, it may take time. But take the time. Because the difference in your career long term of getting a 10 or 15 or 20% raise in a year, and getting future raises based on that, versus just another 2% raise or no raise is going to be quite significant during the the long haul of your career. So it's better to plan to go in with a specific game plan. So that's your homework right now, I want you to come up with a one page memo.
I'm not suggesting you write a 30 page memo and spend six months on this a one page memo That will give your boss specific things that you're planning on doing to boost your productivity to help the organization do it right now.