About the middle of the 1990's a lot of ideas began to shake out as the technology revolution took control of business. One of the most important bits of clarity surfaced around the issue of careers and career promotions. What's driving this post? Over the past ten years, as more and more research has on organizational behavior has surfaced, the way to get a promotion has become pretty straight-forward.
But let's get rid of one dumb idea. That's the notion that if you suck up to your boss, he or she will get the promotion for you. First, I don't believe in sucking up, and second, the idea is false. Unless your boss owns the company, very few bosses have much in the way of "promotion power." Promotions require all kinds of input from all levels, and organizations try to limit promotions to the few because they're expensive. Furthermore, most organizations don't have an overweening need for managers in the world of flattened organizational hierarchies. I should add that that situation will be changing over the next five to ten years. There's going to be a dearth of talent as the boomers retire and technology makes more and more complex demands. But why wait it out?
People get promoted for three reasons, and all three of them need to be operative:
- A quality network.
- Competent, high performance on the job.
- Calculated luck--you're in the right place at the right time.
Now let's look at each of these.
The research on network quality has been stacked high for nearly ten years. It shows that people with a quality network have access to rewards, early promotions and better opportunities. It does take six months or more to get a network going, but it's well worth the investment in your future.
In this day and age, performance means a lot more than in the past. The ability to solve complex problems, demonstrate significant people skills in complex environments, set a pace for creativity and innovation, deal with problems of ambiguity, etc. etc. etc. The new research on deliberate practice shows that we can grow our way into most any expertise.
But you've got to advocate for yourself. The basic way the important people know about the excellence of your performance and the quality of your growing expertise is to advocate for yourself, keep your bosses and peers and internal clients updated, and manage up. Do it tactfully and indirectly. Remember that the people with the power to assist you rarely know of your contributions or the value you bring to an organization unless you tell them. So learn and practice the skills of self-advocacy.
Finally, promotions come as a result of calculated luck. This means that you'll you need to understand the business, the industry and the economy and work to be in the right place at the right time. The information is out there with vendors, trade magazines and business journals.
Recently one of my clients, stymied because of limited opportunities within his firm, talked to me about moving on so that he could get a promotion from another company. Here's his thinking: Over the past four years he's developed unique expertise in a business and industry that is undergoing monstrous transitions. Unique technology has come into the industry. Very few manager have his background, and most organizations know they've got to make changes and integrate that technology to maintain their competitive advantage. He's got the network, the competency and he's calculated his opportunities.
Smart thinking. The business world is his oyster and he'll eventually get the promotion. The stuff is out there for every fast tracker. So, go for it!
And for Gen-Yers? Wow, this process really works.