:::Business Success Coach offers advice on how to get paid what you?re worth:::

We?ve all done it - played that movie over and over in our minds of our confident entry into the boss? office and asking for - no, demanding ? that elusive pay raise. However deserved, however, reality often plays out far differently, with many relegating themselves to their boss? budgetary discretion.

Yes, asking for a raise can be tricky as there are so many factors that come into play: the business culture, company policies regarding regular job assessments andd wage reviews, and the subjectivity of your boss. Asking for a raise can be more than anxiety provoking?it can be downright depressing. So, what are the throngs of underpaid, though deserving, employees throughout corporate America to do?

John McKee, a Certified Business and Executive Coach and Author of 21 Ways Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot, who has received, denied and granted literally thousands of pay raise requests throughout his management career, offers these potentially profitable insights:

For those employed in companies with policies regarding wage reviews, the first thing is to find out how frequently those are supposed to occur. In most large companies, it will be an annual activity with the HR department providing supervisors with guidelines for how to appraise individuals, and what type of increases are appropriate based on how the employee is rated for performance, attitude and potential growth on the job in the future. If you are involved in this type of organization, you should take advantage of the formality and regularity of the wage/performance review annual event by preparing a self-assessment of your own job performance. This self appraisal should be honest - if you have areas that could be better, you should exactly what, and how, you intend to improve, including recommendations for any additional training that could enhance your performance. It is also important you note any and all accomplishments along with specific measurements and dates in case the boss may overlook or forget about those highlights.