In Part 1 of Career Transformation Plan: How to Get Promoted! I provided the information necessary for you to assess your eligibility for promotion. Part 2 will offer tips for achieving your promotion goal and a framework for assessing your career progression.
Tips for achieving your promotion goal:
- Start with an ‘Exceeds Expectations’ Performance Appraisal. If there are any minor items requiring change or corrective action, be sure that your manager is aware of and has noted your improvement.
- Closely examine your current organization structure. How do your accountabilities and accomplishments compare to others in your department or division? How does your current role compare to the promotion you want? How well-positioned are you to step into the new role?
- Know the unwritten rules for achieving a promotion. Remove the roadblocks BEFORE you have a discussion with your manager.
- Do your homework. What are the typical accountabilities, skills, background, education level needed to be successful in a level-level role? What does it take inside your company to be perceived as promotion-ready? - Seek advice from a mentor, ‘trusted advisor’ or HR Representative who is known for maintaining confidentiality.
- Know the normal approach and leadership style of your manager. How does he/she typically respond to these types of Human Resources/professional development issues? Is his/her style such that you have to ‘project manage’ change efforts including your own promotion?
- Plan for objections. What objections is your manager likely to raise? Practice responding in a straight-forward manner.
- Schedule a one-on-one meeting with your manager and submit an agenda that includes several professional development bullet points.
- During the meeting: be sure to discuss your manager’s criteria for promotion; ask for his/her support; clarify timing and next steps; uncover any hidden reservations; additional training or experience he/she feels is important before a promotion, etc.
What can you do to be promotion-ready?
This table might provide some anchor points or milestones as you prepare for promotion. To ensure a continued upward career trajectory trend line, it will be necessary for you to practice internal and external reputation enhancement strategies and assess where you are on the following framework:
Several issues must be addressed as you develop your strategy for attaining a promotion, including: developing a Career Transformation Plan that includes assessing your eligibility for promotion, implementing the actions that will make you promotable and having a framework describing typical anchor points and milestones for you to assess your career progression.
A question for you to consider:
* Do you have a strategy for obtaining promotions? If you don’t, feel free to contact me at: cglasco@charter.net.
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