The Age & Ladder chart shows that you should be getting a promotion every four years. If you have been holding your job position/assignment for more than 5 years now without any personal growth as your peers are climbing the corporate ladder, then you may be lacking a Daily Management System (DMS). The good news is that you can start your DMS tonight and begin to find the success you want tomorrow.

1. CLIMBING THE AGE & LADDER CHART
Have you ever wondered why some people at work are ahead of you?
If so, try finding your place in the Age & Ladder chart.
Look for your age (across the top row), and then find your current position (down the
left column). Now see where they intersect on the grid.
Now let’s look back;
From our Preparatory age until our College years, we were given a “report card” for
each year, which served as a measure of how well were as a student. In short, your
report card shows if you failed, passed or excelled in your class. Our parents pay our
school fees. We study hard so we can graduate and attain a degree in order get a
“job”. We never complain!
Entering the work force, you become an employee of a company. You were offered a
salary based on your education, knowledge and experience. How do you think the
company measures you as an employee? Well, a company conducts a yearly
Performance Appraisal (PA) for each employee as a measurement of how well you
were as an employee. Your immediate supervisor assesses your performance and you
as an employee will be given a chance to give a comment/feedback to your
supervisor. Now, after working in a company for more than one year, receiving the

2. same amount of salary and continuously unsatisfied with your performance evaluation,
what will be the common reaction of an employee? We tend to complain!
Now, think!
If your age and position meet along the highlighted areas or above, then
congratulations! You are on a steady, upward path in your career.
If they meet below the highlighted areas, then chances are you have been feeling
stuck and felt upset each time a co-worker has passed you.
The Age & Ladder chart shows that you should be getting a promotion every four years.
If you have been holding your job position/assignment for more than 5 years now
without any personal growth as your peers are climbing the corporate ladder, then you
may be lacking a Daily Management System (DMS). The good news is that you can
start your DMS tonight and begin to find the success you want tomorrow.
Daily Management System (DMS)
The DMS is how you manage your daily activities. The more successful employees have
a DMS, while those less successful have no system at all. Three simple steps will help you
climb up the ladder.
Step 1
Set up a daily alarm before you pray and sleep. For example, set your alarm at
9:00 pm and name it DMS. Yes, an alarm in the evening! This may sound funny
but you will get used to it eventually.
Step 2
Think of at least 5 items that you will do the following day. It can be any of the
following:
o Family: birthdays, anniversary, weddings, things for kids / home
o Personal growth: read books, news, communicate with your past and
current networks, attend trainings, and check any items that will enhance
your personality. Better yet, read a Bible quote or attend mass.
o Company projects and meetings: make sure you are well prepared and
on time for the meetings
o Communication: coach/train/share something useful and valuable to
your subordinates, co-employees or networks
o Administration: check your emails; update your boss and co-workers on
the status of your works/projects. Check the status of your deliverables.
Step 3
Once you have a list, schedule the items in your phone’s calendar for the next
day and set an alarm for each. Make sure to avoid conflicts.
Here are simple tips:
o Attend to any family activities on the list after work but try to greet them in
the morning

3. o Personal growth should be done right after you arrive in the office. You
can share any good materials, news or articles you read to start up a
meeting or conversation with your co-workers
o Do not set a meeting early in the morning as some may be late or may
need additional time to prepare. Do not set up a meeting after lunch as
productivity tends to decline between 1:00 – 3:00 pm.
o Do your administrative work early in the morning or after lunch
You are ready to conquer the next day. The following night your DMS will alarm again
(see Step 2). Review the items you listed for the recent day and see what you had
accomplished. Next, see how you can address the items that were not met. You can
then plan for them again for the following day. The DMS can be an easy habit if you
use your phone as a personal assistant.
The Numbers Add Up
If you want to move up that ladder, all you have to do is work 8 hours a day plus 5-10
minutes to plan your DMS at night.
If we do the math, you just work:
8 hours a day X
30 days a month X
12 months a year X
4 years
= 11,520 hours
Remember the “10,000 Hours Rule” by Malcolm Gladwell? He says that 10,000 hours is
the required amount of time to master a skill.
If we look at the Age & Ladder chart, every ten thousand hours—or about every four
years—we can master our skills at work through a Daily Management Systems and
expect to start our journey toward promotions and personal growth.
And one last tip: personal growth does not necessarily mean getting a promotion. It
may be a lateral move, such as a transfer to a new department/location, or it could
simply be a new assignment or special project. For example if you have been in Sales
for five years or more, you may request to be transferred to a new sales region.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Russ is a FMCG Sales & Marketing Executive, with more than 22 years of experience from local and multi-
national companies with background in Financial Management and Organizational Development and
Training. He conducted training to more than 1,500 participants.
Together with “Hapinoy” team, he helped in the development of Training Module on how to run a “Sari-
Sari” Store Operation and Primer for Entrepreneurship for Out of School Youth. He conducts Sales Training
and Consultancy. You may contact him at rcarida@gmail.com