Landing a Job Promotion

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 because they believe that the employer will see their value and give them rapid promotions; the employer hires 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.”

1. Be clear why you need the promotion. If you merely want a “better title” on your business card, you may not really need a promotion (with all its responsibilities) just to impress those who see your business card. Similarly, if you want to be promoted so that you can make more money, that, too, is a different matter. Either of these parameters can be more easily accommodated than a job promotion.
2. If you want a “fancier” title, see if you can negotiate with your boss to get that just for the 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.
3. Career professionals often underestimate the demands of a promotion. Before the promotion everything is viewed through rose-colored glasses. In most cases, responsibilities increase geometrically with authority and those who do not see the liability that it can create often lament the promotion and find ways to revert to their previous status-a difficult move that can damage an otherwise good career.
4. Before pursuing the promotion visualize yourself doing the job that the promotion offers, not in the way the incumbent is doing it now, but the way you would. This may place unexpected demands on you that may shift your work-life balance to your detriment. Carefully review the implications of that shift.
5. 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!
6. In promoting someone to the next level, the employer is taking some risks. It is best to evaluate how the employer sees that risk in your own case. This can be done with a discussion with your manager. Not all risks will be openly discussed. But, the ones that are 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.
7. 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 that promotion. Your argument should be based not on mere superior performance, but on how your being at the next level will benefit the company more than it would you from the change. 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 force of your leadership and not with your ability to bully those around you! The best kind of promotion is that which, when announced, does not surprise anyone!
8. Those who are considered for a promotion (especially at executive levels) display a good balance between the “three Qs.” The IQ part has to do with your job skills (content knowledge), the EQ has to do with your emotional quotient (your awareness of self and how you relate to others) and the PQ, your ability to deal with critical situations (your political quotient). PQ does not merely mean having the savvy at “playing” politics!
9. A related issue is your own 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 their common characteristics and represent those norms; you cannot be an aberration. Senior executive often retain image consultants for this purpose.
10. One key factor in promotional consideration, especially at higher levels, is your ability to conduct effective meetings and to forcefully articulate your views. Those who find this daunting may have to wait until they are able to master this skill. Also, public speaking is another related skill. Joining Toastmasters International can be a good way to learn how to do this well. Check out the company training programs as well.
11. 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. The only people who can get away with this are the elected politicians who are seeking a higher office while they are serving as incumbents.
12. 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!
13. If you are able to “lead” your peers without having a title of the person to whom they report (your manager), you already are being seen as their leader. Do not bully them to exert your will. That will backfire.
14. 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.
15. Increase your visibility throughout the organization and the company. Attend outside events that showcase your company, be a presenter at some well-attended conference or event. Volunteer to participate in activities where higher-ups normally gather and mingle with them with effortless ease.
16. One of the most difficult promotional “rungs” is moving up from being an individual contributor to being the 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. The managerial functions are very different from that of an individual contributor. A manager is responsible for the four functions of managing: Lead, Plan, Organize, and to 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 the functions of management.
17. The best time to bring up your intentions for getting promoted is at the time of the annual performance review. Exploring with your immediate supervisor how they see the possibility and asking them what you might do differently to achieve that brass ring 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.
18. Keep your manager in the loop by emailing concise weekly and monthly progress reports. If you think their help is needed, ask. This approach helps especially when there is turnover in the management ranks. Also, make sure that you do not surprise your manager in any way, always keeping them in the loop.
19. Make yourself visible to others in as many events instead of your current boss. Introduce yourself by saying “I represent the test department” at such events. On occasions when your boss is unable to attend a high-level meeting, volunteer. If this is done 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 though you may disagree with their decisions privately.
20. 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.
21. If senior executives, as a group, come from a different national culture (this happens with a merger or an acquisition), understand their needs and expectations through their cultural norms. Establishing ethos with those of different culture can accelerate your candidacy. This understanding must be developed in a subtle way; making it obvious can backfire. Similarly, showing ignorance or indifference to such cultural values can be detrimental not just to your promotion, but also to your career.
22. 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.
23. Seek yourself a mentor or a professional career coach who can give you some 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!