Navigating Career Growth: The What, How, and Why of Promotions

I’m co-facilitating a circle for Women in Product. The focus is career clarity and development. I was reminded of a question I often receive while coaching - what do I need to do to be promoted?

It’s a tricky question to answer as each organization and manager has different criteria, some written and some in their head. I recommend taking any career competencies framework as the starting point. Advancing to the next level is never a check box exercise. The “how” is more important than the “what” you have done. And just like Selena Gomez reminds us in Only Murders in the Building (which is a must watch), the “why” also needs to be considered.

Are you seeking to get to the next level, because someone who joined the organization at the same time as you or a perceived peer was promoted? Do you want to get promoted to have direct reports? If you answered “yes” - you’ve likely discovered what is preventing your advancement. Being promoted is not a package deal, e.g. we should be promoted together. Check your attitude and see if a perception reset is in order, then consider the following factors.

• What have you accomplished

  • Yes, the career ladder is important, but it is not the only factor. Consider what you have done to advance your organization, team, and colleagues.

  • Being promoted is not about just looking in the mirror. It is about the value you bring to others and how you make those around you better.

• How have you demonstrated competency at the next level

  • The adage of doing the requirements of the next job you want before stepping into the role officially is true.

  • Consider feedback from your manager and colleagues to identify “how” you do the work and areas for development. If feedback is lacking, simply ask.

• Why do you want to be promoted and why now

  • Time (e.g. how long you have been in the role) and prior title (e.g. you had a higher title at another organization) are not reasons for a promotion.

  • Businesses must have a need for a promotion to occur. For example customer growth could result in a new team being formed or new opportunities arising.

Feel it’s your “time”? That’s awesome. Use your organization’s career competencies only as a starting point. Don’t stop there. Truly reflect on the work you are doing today and try to honestly evaluate if it is exceeding expectations. Also reflect on what you are doing to learn more about the workings of cross functional teams. Are you a true partner, learning how to make their jobs easier, or are you staying in the safety of your head and not stepping beyond what is “required”?

If you’re a leader reading this article, remember part of your role is to help set up your team for advancement as well - whether it be to the next level or to a new opportunity. These are the themes we’re going to be exploring today.

Can they ‘Walk Away With A Win’ (WAWAW)

I am in the process of becoming a certified coach through the College of Executive Coaching. I heard many truly wonderful things about Co-Active too. For me, I was seeking a program which focused on executive + individual coaching.

→→→ Interested in personalized coaching for a nominal fee?  ←←←

I'm offering 30 min coaching sessions for $1 and 60 min coaching sessions for $2.

Click on a link above to sign up or message me - dianas(at)gmail.com .

The coaching materials resonated with me, especially the sections which touched on a leader’s role in helping their team advance in their careers.

Often without meaning to do so, leaders step in to make decisions for their team. Doing so takes away the employee’s initiative and an opportunity for advancement. End result being, a leader’s involvement could be what is preventing their team from having a win to call out when promotion time comes around.

The next time a team member approaches you for help, consider how they can walk way with a win. Pause and practice “try this out” by following these two steps.

1. Ask the team member for their recommendation

2. If it’s a good recommendation and a two-way door decision, let them try it out

It’s likely your team does not want your idea. Instead it’s your validation or permission they are seeking. By giving them answers, you take away the opportunity for their idea and its validation. You are training your team to come to you for decisions instead of exploring their own, e.g. you are depriving your team of walking away with wins of their own doing.

Uncertain of the questions to ask your team to put them and their idea back into the driver’s seat? Even though the following image is about how to define a great strategy, variations of the questions can be called upon in almost any “try this out” scenario.

Similar principles apply if you’re an individual contributor and/or working in a cross functional team. Consider the personalities of your colleagues. As introverts make up roughly 40% of the population, it’s likely a few folks fall into that camp. Provide opportunities for all team members to put forward ideas, not just the extroverts.

If you’re wondering, why would I do that? Won’t I lose my own opportunity for a win? That type of thinking could be the reason you’re not getting promoted. Scan back up to the top of this newsletter and revisit the What, How, and Why bullets. Plus here are two articles which introduce alternative viewpoints. Keep the supporting principles in mind when having your next promotion conversation.

Juggling being a manager and an individual contributor

With today’s current economic landscape, we are seeing established organizations way beyond their startup days requiring managers to run projects which would have previously gone to an individual contributor while still establishing the strategic vision, evaluating horizon 2 and 3 opportunities, providing development, and guiding their team through ever evolving circumstances.

In the coin toss between priorities, someone higher up the food chain decided to choose both heads and tails. Which also equates to not deciding at all.

The end result being the manager is likely to have limited time to listen to their team and will miss opportunities which could be a call out for future promotions.

The best scenario is your manager has a recurring 1:1 time with you (real time, not 5 minutes squeezed between back to back 30 minute meetings or at 6pm on a Friday) to listen to you, discuss your career goals, and collaboratively identify opportunities which help to bridge capability gaps. Capability gap comes from work by legendary American football coach, and now ESPN commentator, Nick Saban.

If your manager is juggling multiple roles and doesn’t have capacity for you, there are alternative paths you can pursue. Reach out to colleagues and ask them for input on your capability gaps. Partners, community members, and friends can be called upon as well. Key is, choose individuals who will be brutally honest with you, as you would be with them. They can push you to step out of your comfort zone and to tackle bigger challenges than you may believe you are capable of tackling. These are not political operators who are navigating behind the scenes for you to fail. Focus on people who 100% believe in you and will be there for you regardless of the outcome.

Take risks by falling forward or diagonally, not back

Capability gaps can be in areas such as soft skills as well. The actions you take that are going to help your career do not rely solely on hard skills, such a functional or domain expertise. Demonstrating your people skills, such as emotional intelligence, are going to help you stand out as you look for new opportunities, especially when considering moving sideways and diagonally are opportunities for career growth.

You may have heard of the phrase career lattice. It is starting to replace the traditional career ladder.

Instead of being laser focused on the next rung in the ladder, the career lattice offers more focus on experiences which develop a broader portfolio of skills and consequently a greater range of personal development. Stepping into an adjacent role to gain skills is an example of applying the principles of a career lattice.

Deciding whether a career lattice approach is right for you (or for your team / organization)? Consider the following:

1. Types of skills you want to develop. Move beyond the title and think about the capability gaps you need to fill.

2. Existing skills applicable to other roles. Check your eight “arms”. Product managers are octopuses with a range of powers to call upon.

3. ABC - Always building community. Start building connections early, share your aspirations, and explore opportunities to shadow roles or next steps.

Not convinced by the term “career lattice”? The key is to think beyond the "ladder” with only one direction of movement perceived as success. Other views into careers of the future refer to a “portfolio” approach. Similar to the career lattice, a career portfolio is about being flexible and adapting to the ever changing world around us.

Top Three Takeaways

There has been a lot to ponder in this post. To help with your review here are the top three takeaways to keep in mind.

1. Career Progression Isn't Just About Promotions: Getting promoted isn't about ticking boxes or competing with peers. It's important to understand what you've contributed to your team and organization, demonstrate skills needed for your next role, and have clear, business aligned reasons for wanting a promotion.

2. Leadership's Role in Career Development: Leaders should help their teams advance by letting them take the initiative and make decisions. This approach helps team members gain confidence and recognition, which is crucial for their career growth.

3. Broaden Your Career View: Instead of just focusing on climbing the traditional career ladder, consider a "career lattice" approach. This means looking for opportunities to grow in different directions – sideways, diagonally, or even taking a step back – to develop a wider range of skills and experiences.

Convey empathy for others in a way that is real and not just for product performance theatre and people will be cheering you on all along the way to the next role. You will feel a true sense of belonging especially when taking on that risky project - you will feel valued, know you are adding value, and reaping the benefits of a having collaborative mindset.

Thank you for reading People-First Product Leadership. This post is public so feel free to share it.

→→→ Interested in personalized coaching for a nominal fee? ←←←

I'm offering 30 min coaching sessions for $1 and 60 min coaching sessions for $2.

Click on a link above to sign up or message me - dianas(at)gmail.com .