Have you even felt like you were doing your boss’ job? If so, you might be thinking “I deserve a promotion!” I was listening to a colleague complain that they are doing their boss’ job. The complaints were nothing new; “Why am I doing this work when he should do it?”. In fact, it reminded me of my first one on one with a new boss early in my career. She sat me down and told me that I need to promote my work with her peers and make sure they know what I do. My gut reaction was “isn’t that YOUR JOB?” I was wrong then and my colleague is wrong now.
First, let me be clear, if you do all the work on something but your boss presents it as his own, this is unacceptably poor leadership. A good leader shares the credit, a great leader gives credit where its due.
Having said that, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking when your leader takes your presentation into a board meeting without you, “Hey, I did all the work, but my boss got all the glory!” But here’s the thing: building that presentation deck, gathering the data, analyzing the results – that was your job. You were supporting your boss, enabling them to do their job, which in my example involved presenting to higher-ups, securing buy-in from stakeholders, and driving strategic decisions. You each did your own jobs.
Lets look at my specific case where my new leader said I had to promote myself with her peers. You might think, like I did, my job is to do great work and my leader’s job to promote me as their top performer. I hated that she shifted this burden to me, but I later found out how much she was trying to help me. When end of year reviews came around, leaders at that company would go several rounds each presenting their top performer as the next name in a stacked rank system. And every time a leader submitted a name that the rest of their peers didn’t know, they lost. If I didn’t learn who her peers where and how my work impacted the things they care about, nothing she did could get me top scores and promotions. She can’t do that job for me and I can’t do her job for her.
Own Your Role
In any organization, there’s a natural hierarchy. Your boss has different responsibilities than you do. Their focus might be on the bigger picture, while you’re focused on the details. That doesn’t mean your work is less valuable; it simply means you have different roles to play.
The key is to own your role and excel at it. Take pride in your contributions, even if they happen behind the scenes. Be the person your boss can rely on to deliver high-quality work, every time. By understanding your boss’s priorities and challenges, you can anticipate their needs and proactively offer solutions. That’s how you build a reputation as a high performer.
Know When to Step Up
Now, this doesn’t mean you should settle for staying in the same role forever. If you consistently exceed expectations and find yourself hitting a ceiling because of your current position, it’s time to make a case for a promotion.
But here’s the crucial point: you earn a promotion by demonstrating that you’ve outgrown your current role, not by simply doing tasks that you were perfectly capable of doing all along. When you can no longer make progress without pulling in your boss, that’s when you know you’re ready for the next level. I’ve been in meetings where the other attendees are above my level in the leadership chain and as a result, then I made the ask, they said they would connect with my leader. Somethings you can not get done from your chair even if you are capable of doing the work. THAT’S when you ask for a promotion.
The Path to Advancement
Always start by ensuring your leader knows your ambitions well in advance of asking for the promotion. If you want to be a team leader, tell them that’s your goal. If you want to be promoted to expert level, tell them that’s your goal. If you are doing good work, all you future conversations with your leaders can focus on your career path instead of your performance. Your work goals should lead you down a path inline with your ambitions.
But remember, a promotion isn’t an entitlement. Sometimes, even when you’re ready for a promotion, the timing might not be right due to factors outside your control, such as budget constraints or limited openings. In these cases, you’ll have to make a decision to be patient, waiting for an opening in the team/group or to seek opportunity outside the company. Either way, by consistently delivering outstanding work and pushing yourself to learn and develop, you pave the way for future advancement.