Strategies to Overcome Promotion Barriers in the Workplace

Being the best at your job does not = a promotion in product marketing 🚧 You could be amazing and still have many obstacles in your way A few years ago, I was killing it in my role as a PMM Lead and really wanted to be a Director My manager said I was doing great and gave me "exceeds expectations" at every review But I was also told that, while in theory I deserved a promotion, there were other people ahead of me in line 🙄 I had no idea how long that line was or when it might be my turn 🎉 Eventually, I got fed up, went to a different company at the same level, and got that Director title within a year Here are some of the obstacles you might be facing: ➡️ Your company is growing too slowly for new opportunities to be created. If everyone at your company has been there 5+ years and you have to wait for your boss to move on to get promoted, you'll be waiting a long time ➡️ You're working like crazy but you have no idea how people get promoted at your company and your boss only gives you vague praise but no real feedback. This leaves you with no direction ➡️ Because you don't know how promotions work, you have no idea who actually has to approve your promotion ➡️ You see some people get promoted extremely quickly but others seem to wait for years. You have no idea why and it makes you nervous Here's what I recommend: 1️⃣ Ask your boss for real feedback and also find out how promotions work. What does the calendar look like, who is on the committee, if you were to be promoted, what would your role look like, etc. This can be intimidating, but it's critical for your success 2️⃣ Talk to people at the level you want, both internally and externally. Go ask that recently promoted Director of Content at your company how they got there, while also interviewing Directors of PMM elsewhere. This will give you a list of possible skills to develop that you can build a development plan for 3️⃣ Build your network, internally and externally. Cozy up to the promotions panel, find ways to help their teams. Build your network in case you need to leave 4️⃣ Agree on a development plan and timeline with your boss. You can even build a business case for your promotion that includes a transition plan to show that your old job would still be covered 5️⃣ But lastly, and critically, be prepared to leave if a promotion is your ultimate goal There are so many potential obstacles for promotion that are out of your control. A lot of winning that game has to do with being in the right place at the right time This is one of the major reasons you often see executives moving companies every 1-2 years Don't try to wait out an impossible situation when so many other companies might need your skillset 💡 Not getting promoted doesn't mean you don't have what it takes What else do you want to know? Drop it in the comments 👇 ⭐ I'm on a mission to help 100 marketers pivot into product marketing. Interested? DM me to learn how.

I’ve advised over 200 high achievers in the last 3 years. From F500 companies to billion dollar startups. 5 challenges that kept them stuck + how to overcome: (1) Demonstrating impact It's a harsh truth, but no amount of work will get you promoted. To level up you need to show impact on the bottom line. Recommendation: Focus on outcomes vs. outputs, and track your success. (2) Owning your time If someone else owns your calendar you can't be effective or make a big impact. But most people just accept what ever is put on their calendar. Recommendation: Be proactive, not reactive. Create you ideal schedule (I call it CEO schedule) and own your time. (3) Leveraging advocacy Your career will grow faster if you have key stakeholders ready to speak on your behalf. But most people don't have a strategic plan to build and nurture advocacy. When the time comes they need to beg for support. Recommendation: Identify your advocates and manage the relationship long term, to get undeniable recognition. (4) Having hard conversations The things you want most are on the other side of a hard conversation. Asking for a raise, getting a unique opportunity, sharing feedback, letting an employee go. Avoiding these conversations keeps you stuck. Recommendation: Don't avoid hard conversations. Plan and practice for them to reduce the anxiety and fear. (5) No vision or strategy You assume working hard enough for long enough will get you ahead. That's usually not the answer. Doing more of the same won't get you far in the corporate world. Recommendation: Gain clarity about your vision and what it would take to get there, so you can be intentional about how you spend your time at work. Ignore these challenges and you'll stay stuck for years. Master them and you'll join the 1%. *** Enjoyed this post? ♻️ Share to help someone get unstuck and grow their career

Working in People & Culture, I often think about what helps employees secure promotions. Many come to me hoping to understand how to get promoted or asking for a promotion outright. I love seeing people advocate for themselves, especially women and minority groups. However, just asking for a promotion won't make it happen—you need to know how to do it strategically. Here are 4 common mistakes I see: 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Don’t ask for a promotion without doing your research. You need data and concrete examples to back your request. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Being great at your current job isn’t enough. You’re asking for a different role, so you need to demonstrate how you’ll excel in it and why you’re suited for the new responsibilities. 𝗩𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀: Be clear about what you want. Explain how the new role is different from your current one and why you’re ready for it. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Sometimes, a promotion request is more about addressing scope creep. In such cases, you might have a better chance of getting a raise than a promotion. Anyone who has been coached by me knows I’m all about strategy. It takes a strategic approach to get that promotion. Be prepared, be clear, and show your value. 💪 #CareerGrowth #PromotionTips #WomenInLeadership #StrategicThinking