Tips for Securing a Promotion

I’ve been promoted 11 times in 20 years at 6 companies Here’s how I did it: 1. Eliminate entitled expectations and patiently play the long game 2. Be truly exceptional in your current role - don’t underestimate how long it takes to achieve mastery 3. Clarify and communicate your long term career goals including your ideal next step  - it is not up to your manager or anyone else to do this for you 4. Demonstrate you can do the next role by taking on key responsibilities of that position - you don’t need to ask permission to solve important business problems 5. Make your manager’s life easier, become indispensable to them and seize learning opportunities to take projects off their plate 6. Lead by example by exuding optimism, assuming positive intent and helping others, especially through challenging times 7. Don’t complain and only talk about problems, design and implement solutions that drive real results 8. Act like an owner and don’t let your current job description hold you back from doing what is required for the business to be successful  9. Respond to inevitable disappointment gracefully and don’t give up  10. Choose the company and evaluate the hiring manager wisely - a great company and an invested manager are two key ingredients to create the conditions for career advancement My biggest lesson 20 years into my career: The promotions are great but don't feel as good as you think they will - focus on the journey and the process, that's the good stuff #personaldevelopment

How I turned unclear expectations into a fast promotion path as a Game Producer. Feel free to steal them: 5 Things to light the path and make it easy for your manager to negotiate for you. 1. Established clear goals with my manager every 90 days. 2. Got signoff on: "If I deliver these X things, it means I hit those goals." 3. Got clear commitments for support from my manager upfront. 4. Got a clear picture of how I'd be rewarded if I nailed my goals. Handshake. 5. Solve at least 1 problem every 90 days that is "above my paygrade". You're looking for these 4 outcomes. -Accountability for you AND your boss when it comes time for promotion & raises. -Those around you perceive that you can perform well in your role AND the role above you. -The people you need support from are incorporating that in their plan. -Your work clearly maps into the company's needs. If this doesn't work out, you'll probably be clear on why. Or know that you need to hold your leaders accountable. If you get to those outcomes, you're a shoe-in!

A few pieces of advice I would give to an SDR or AE that is seeking a promotion: 1) Be a top performer in your current role - You can't look too far ahead and not take care of tasks at hand- hint: that behavior won't work in your next role either! 2) Start acting the part now - AE's - you shouldn't wait to be named a sales manager to begin digging into your individual metrics and compare them across your peers looking for areas to work on. SDR's - start asking more AE-level discovery questions and qualifying buyers without being asked! 3) Get around the people you want to become (Read Ken Coleman's book The Proximity Principle - he breaks this down in detail - incredible read) - Spend time around people who are in the roles or industries you want to be in. Offer to take them out to lunch or get 15 minutes of their time to ask questions and learn! AE's - if you want to be a Director or VP, start spending time around them, learning what they do and what they did as AE's to get there. - SDR's - reach out to AE's you admire or look up to at your company or outside your company. If you want an internal promotion, get with some of your company's best AE's and ask them about discovery questions you can ask. Listen to calls if you have Gong, Salesloft, or something else. Listen to the verbiage they use, the questions they ask, how they speak to prospects - You can start doing that now and flexing those muscles! I've been fortunate enough to get promoted from IC to leadership in a few companies, here's one example - My first real sales job was at an auto dealership. I started in sales, but I wanted to be a finance manager so bad (That's where the real money was!) So in my downtime, I was hanging around the finance desk, talking to the finance managers and learning everything I could. I'd even load their printer with documents <> The F&I guys loved me taking small tasks out of their hands, while I was learning how to use the programs and bill out deals). I would hang around as they were submitting deals, and they would teach me about credit applications and how to use our software to build out a deal in the system. They loved teaching me, and eventually I was volunteering to bill out and print entire deals on my own while they managed. I also started practicing the job - I began talking to my customers about finance products and trying to pre-sell them before they even met my finance manager. <> S/O SDR's who ask buying/qualifying questions and have customers REALLY interested before they even meet with an AE! When the time came for my GM to pick our next Finance manager, I made it easy - - I had good numbers in sales and the highest finance product penetration of any sales rep - I already knew how to bill out deals in the system and use all the software - very little onboarding needed - I already had finance managers telling my GM I'd be a great choice - Proximity works! #Sales #promotions #careeradvice

I have been promoted at every company I have been a part of prior to the year mark... At multiple companies, I have received 2 promos prior to the year mark. Top three things that have accelerated promotion timelines for me? 1. Establish the responsibilities of the next step in career growth at your current company... and start doing them at the highest level you can. Nothing shows you deserve a promotion more than stepping into that role without being prompted to. 2. Make sure there is a business need, that is clearly valuable in the medium to long term, that is met by you being promoted. No matter how hard you work, promos only occur when the company is aligned with your goals. 3. Advocate for yourself. If you are lucky, you have a good leader advocating on your behalf as well, but thats not the norm. You have to be your biggest cheerleader always in the most humble way possible. If you don't advocate for yourself why should anyone else?

𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲, 𝗡𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱.   Many leaders believe that performance alone will secure a senior executive promotion. Long hours, heroic saves, and deep technical chops must lead to career growth… right? Not quite. According to Harvey Coleman’s P.I.E. Theory of Success: • 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 = 10% of your career success • 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 = 30% • 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 = 60% If you’re relying on performance alone, you’re leaving 90% of your success opportunity on the table. 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 One Director of Application Development I worked with was exceptional at fixing outages and solving urgent system failures. Every time chaos hit, he stepped in. But because he was always in the weeds: • He never built influence beyond his tactics • He missed strategic planning meetings • He wasn’t visible to execs    Meanwhile, a less experienced manager began attending VP-level conversations. She built relationships, contributed insights, and made herself known. At the next promotion cycle, she got the nod. He stayed behind. Not because he wasn’t good enough, but because he wasn’t 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 as strategic enough. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 Great leaders don’t just 𝘥𝘰 the work, they build 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 that can do the work without them. Here’s how to start: ✅ Delegate what you’ve mastered ✅ Coach your team to take the lead ✅ Get into strategic rooms and speak up ✅ Make offers to help your boss win 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 game You’re not being paid to be the hero. You’re being paid to build the system that doesn’t 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 one. 📣 Repost this to help someone stop being “too valuable to promote.” 👥 Follow me for more tools to grow into your next leadership role. #ExecutivePresence  #LeadershipDevelopment  #PromotionTips  #CareerGrowth

I was an AE for 8 months and then got a $60,000 raise. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁: 1. Equity doubled 2. Promoted to Sales Manager 3. Given an opportunity to build an entire office from scratch (in Atlanta) 🤯 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁: 1. A relentless focus on speaking with customers and closing deals. I removed any meeting that wasn't aligned with revenue generating activities. 2. A willingness to do whatever it takes to make things work. At one point I did customer support to make sure every customer I closed had a great experience. 3. Being a positive force to be reckoned with. No matter how hard or challenging things got I was always looked at the glass half full and had fun. No complaining. 4. Managed up like a pro. Ran all 1:1s. No surprises for my boss. She knew what was going well, what wasn't, support I needed, what my goals were for the quarter and my progress towards them. Always. 5. Building building building. Wrote everything down, found creative solutions like an inbound webinar system and built a repeatable process for everything. Made sure to write down my systems. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄: When it comes to big and abnormal promos, performance is only one part of it. So think through your strategy and approach to everything you're doing deeply. And who knows what opportunities will magically appear out of nowhere for you. Could change your life. - Mike G 👉 PS. I'm sharing some of my best promotion tips in my (free) newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gwQVvVBK

3 Ways to Advocate for Career Growth and That Promotion You Want!   I commonly get asked how I can advocate for myself or speak up about moving up within a company I work for. What do I need to say to my managers to tell them I am looking for something bigger?   Are you looking to take your career to the next level but unsure how to get noticed?   Here are 3 ways to be your own advocate and show leadership you're ready for more:   1. Schedule a Career Development Meeting: - Script: "Hi [Manager Name], I'd love to discuss my career development goals. Would you be available for a meeting in the next couple of weeks?" During the Meeting: - Discuss your accomplishments and how they've benefited the company. - Express your interest in specific growth opportunities or future projects. - Ask for feedback on areas for improvement and a development plan.   2. Take Initiative and Lead Projects: - Script (to a colleague): "I noticed we're facing a challenge with [X]. I have some ideas on how to tackle it. Would you be interested in brainstorming together?" Benefits: - Showcase your problem-solving skills and ability to take ownership. - Gain valuable experience outside your current role. - Get recognized for your proactive approach.   3. Shine During Meetings and Presentations: - Script: "[Summarize key point]. Additionally, I'd like to suggest [your idea] as it could potentially [positive outcome]." Tips: - Be confident and articulate your ideas clearly. - Back up your suggestions with data or previous successes. - Be an active listener and build on others' points.   Advocating for yourself doesn't have to be loud.   Be proactive, take initiatives, and demonstrate your value, and you'll be well on your way to achieving your career goals!   Let me know what you’d add to my list!   #careerdevelopment #promotion #leadership

Being a top performer will not get you that promotion. Believe me, I've been there. Do you know those people grids? The top secret performance grids? Well, because I was in HR, I got to see where I was and I was ALWAYS on the top right which means top performer, high potential. So why was I turned down for 3 internal promotions? Here are the lessons I learned the hard way and what you can do to avoid making the same mistakes. 1. I wanted everyone to like me 2. I was desperate 3. I became the helper Know where you want to be, and how to get there, and let everyone in on your plans. Here's what to do: 1. Become visible ✨ Make people aware of your contributions. ✨ Shout about your career goals through a loud hailer and have a crystal clear path to get there. ✨ Contribute to every interaction and in every meeting. You're not a wallflower. 2. Grow your confidence ✨ Know the value that you bring to the team. ✨ Be intentional about your impact. ✨ Take time to recognize how far you have come. 3. Ask for help ✨ Surround yourself with mentors. ✨ Get feedback from those you trust. ✨ Learn how to say no (something I am still working on). If you want more tough love on your development and career, follow me here. #traininganddevelopment #learninganddevelopment #talentdevelopment #careeradvice #performance #promotions

I remember being so upset when I didn't get advancement opportunities at work. I quickly learned that being a "good" performer often means being overlooked when it comes to career acceleration. Good performance leaves you in the people pile with the majority of employees. The key to career acceleration is to stand out. The best way to stand out is to Exceed Expectations. I realized I had to get very clear on what exceeding expectations meant to my leader. Here are some questions I asked: 1️⃣ What needs to be true for me to exceed your expectations?  2️⃣ What did the last person in this position do very well and where did they miss the mark?  3️⃣ What would you say are my strengths? How can I grow them further? 4️⃣ What are my opportunity areas? How do you suggest I grow in these areas? By asking these questions and acting on the feedback, I started to stand out. Leaders started to notice, and I started to get offered more opportunities inside and outside of my organization. 🌟 Don't settle for being just another face in the office —aim to stand out and reach your career goals whatever they are. You got this! 💪 How are you ensuring that you exceed expectations in your workplace? Share your strategies in the comments below. 👇 #LeadershipCoaching #CareerDevelopment #ThoughtLeadership