Demystifying the Rules for Getting Promoted!

After being at a job for a period of time and getting good performance reviews, most expect to be promoted. Expectants are often disappointed when they suddenly see a peer or an outsider who just “waltzed through” getting promoted in their stead, creating a fallout that can put their otherwise promising career into a downward spiral. Another group of professionals who expect a fast-track promotion are those who are hired on knowing that they are overqualified and who bring a rich portfolio of experience and seniority to their job. They take the job opportunity because they believe that the employer will see their value and give them rapid promotions  Employers hire them because they represent great value in a demand-driven market.

This article addresses the age-old problem of how to position yourself for that promotion that you so richly deserve and to get the title that will make you proud! The following suggestions may be helpful for those who need to know how to navigate through the promotion maze.

Be clear why you need the promotion. If you merely want a fancier title on your business card for prestige, you may not really need a promotion with all its responsibilities. Likewise, if you want to be promoted solely to earn more money, that, too, is a different matter. Either of these parameters can be more easily accommodated than a job promotion.

1. If you want a “fancier” title, see if you can negotiate with your boss to get it just for your business card. Some companies allow their employees multiple titles: a person functioning as a senior software engineer may be responsible for a project or a program. See if your boss will let you get business cards with “Program Manager” as your title.
2. Career professionals often underestimate the demands of a promotion. Before the promotion, everything is viewed through rose-colored glasses. In most cases, responsibilities increase exponentially with authority, and those who do not see the liability that it can create often lament the promotion. Then they look for ways to revert to their previous status – a difficult move that can damage an otherwise good career.
3. Before pursuing the promotion, visualize yourself performing the job that the promotion offers-not in the way the incumbent is doing it now, but the way you would do it. This may place unexpected demands on you that may shift your work-life balance to your detriment. Carefully review the implications of that shift.
4. A well-written quote by Emerson is often a good reminder when contemplating a promotion: We judge ourselves by what we are capable of doing; others judge us by what we have already done!
5. In promoting someone to the next level, the employer is taking some risks. It is best to evaluate what potential risks the employer perceives in your case. This can be done with a discussion with your manager. Not all risks will be openly discussed. But, the ones that are discussed must be addressed in a serious vein. Asking your manager what you need to change to assure that you are aware of the risk, and are willing to work on it to mitigate it, can be a good start.
6. If you want to be promoted to the next level with its title, then you must make that intention clear to your manager and state why you deserve the promotion. Your argument should be based not on mere performance superiority, but on how your being at the next level will benefit the company. Find out what makes for an effective candidate in that position and start being that person well before you start making a case for the promotion. It is much easier for your boss to formalize your role if you are already functioning in that capacity. This role-assumption has to do with the strength of your leadership, not your ability to bully those around you. The best kind of promotion is that which, when announced, does not surprise anyone.
7. Those who are considered for a promotion (especially at executive levels) display a good balance between the “three Qs.” The IQ, your Intelligence Quotient, pertains to your job skills  and content knowledge. The EQ, your Emotional Quotient, describes your self-awareness and how you relate to others. The PQ, your Political Quotient, is your ability to deal with critical situations. PQ has little to do with playing politics.
8. A related issue is your self-image. This is the package that you represent. If you consider yourself worthy of being part of the group to which you will belong, once promoted, you must be able to identify with their common characteristics and represent those norms. You cannot be an aberration. Senior executives often retain image consultants to help them.
9. One key factor in promotional consideration, especially at higher levels, is your ability to conduct effective meetings and to persuasively articulate your views. If you find this daunting, you may have to wait until you are able to master this skill. Public speaking and effective communication are related skills. Joining Toastmasters International, or participating in a communications workshop, can be a good way to learn how to do this well. Your company may already have such courses available for you!
10. While you are positioning for the promotion, do not lose sight of your current responsibilities. You must deliver on your commitments in addition to playing the higher role until your promotion is formalized.
11. When you are positioning for the promotion, do not forget that you will continue to need your colleagues’ support in your new role. If you trample their sensibilities in the rush to get your promotion they can easily sabotage your success once you get there. This can be career suicide.
12. If you are currently able to “lead” your peers, you already are being seen as their leader. Do not bully them to exert your will. That will backfire.
13. The best way to get into your boss’s job is to move them up. For them to move up, you must make them look good to their superiors. Openly discuss with your boss what you might do differently to make this happen. Develop a highly trusted relationship with your immediate superiors.
14. Increase your visibility throughout the organization and the company. Attend outside events that showcase your company. Present at some well-attended conference or event, or moderate a panel with industry leaders. Volunteer to participate in activities where higher-ups normally gather, and mingle with them with effortless ease.
15. One of the most difficult promotional “rungs” is moving up from being an individual contributor to a first-level manager. Most professionals assume than doing a great job in their role as an individual contributor entitles them to that all-important promotion. Nothing could be further from the truth. Managerial functions are quite different from that of an individual contributor. A manager is responsible for four critical functions: Lead, Plan, Organize and set up Controls. The manager’s role is at odds with that of the individual contributor, although having a good understanding of technical content is very important for the first-level manager. To be a candidate for consideration, the individual contributor must show aptitude for these functions.
16. The best time to bring up your intentions for getting promoted is at the time of the annual performance review. Explore with your immediate supervisors how they see the possibility and ask them what you might do differently to achieve that brass ring. This is a good way to establish your candidacy. This does not mean that your efforts should be episodic. You must think, act, and project as if you already are in that role with constancy, without turning off those around you-your colleagues.
17. In some companies promotions happen at regular intervals, between annual reviews. Keep your manager (and others) apprised with weekly and monthly progress reports highlighting your achievements, identifying where you might need help in your ongoing success. This discipline will help you especially when there is managerial turnover.
18. Whenever the opportunity arises to represent your superiors, go for it. Introduce yourself by saying “I represent the engineering department” on such occasions. If this happens often enough, others in those circles will remember you as someone already working at that level. Now you become a shoo-in for that promotion. In such meetings, you must show your complete loyalty to your boss, even when you may disagree with their decisions privately.
19. You are psychologically ready for the promotion when you are able to have an easy conversation on any topic (not just work) with the person at least two levels above you. In addition, not being intimidated by executives at any level can further fortify your candidacy. This is a learned skill.
20. If senior executives, as a group, come from a different national culture, understand their needs and expectations through their cultural norms. Establishing ethos with those belonging to a different culture can accelerate your candidacy. This understanding must be developed in a subtle, caring way. Likewise, showing ignorance or indifference to cultures can be detrimental not just to your promotion, but also to your career.
21. One of the key ingredients for success at higher levels is having a unique perspective. This means developing an ability to look at a situation and confidently being able to give your own assessment without being intimidated or bullied by others at levels much higher than yours. Having a clear vision on how you would make things batter and having a strategy that goes with that vision can help drive your success.
22. Seek yourself a mentor or a professional career coach who can give you objective feedback and round out your skills as a manager at the next level of responsibility.

Getting promoted to the next level is not a spectator sport. You must jump into the arena and compete fiercely with others to get that brass ring. Now you know how!