🧑‍🎤Performing in your performance reviews

Welcome to The Thinker, a twice-monthly newsletter where I provide thought-provoking questions to help you cultivate a fulfilling and high-performing career.

Hey there! 

The latter half of Q4 can create such a flurry of feedback and reflection – ‘tis the season for performance reviews, after all! (It’s also the season for new ways to work with me; exciting updates at the bottom of this email 🎉)

I’m here to set you up for success as you go into your 360 reviews and step-back conversations, so today’s issue is all about how to strategically approach your next promotion. This is relevant no matter when your next career development conversation is scheduled; it’s never too soon to start lobbying for your next promotion. 

Here are 3 questions that will help you firm up your internal career progression. Let’s dive in!

1. How can I connect the dots between my performance and business outcomes?

→ How have I created value?

→ How am I positioned to create even greater value with a promotion?

Most people think they deserve a promotion because they’ve worked hard and have excelled at what was expected. But in my experience, the real reason why high performers get promoted is because their career growth is directly tied to the company’s growth.

Your work should be creating tangible value for the company (e.g. growth, revenue, savings, pipeline, etc.). Reflect on why you deserve a promotion from this perspective and then consider how you can create even more impact with a new title and more scope, etc. If you’re just looking for a raise, think through why getting paid more will help you drive better outcomes - that makes it easier for your boss to make the case on your behalf. 

2. When should I start the promotion conversation with my manager? 

→ Logistically speaking, when does my manager need to make a decision about my promotion?

→ How can I make my promotion inevitable by then?

Your promotion is decided way ahead of the actual step-back conversation. In fact, you should be having a conversation with your manager about your promotion at least once a quarter so that you have clear expectations about the timing of your progression way before review season.

If you haven’t had open communication with your manager about your next step, prioritize a conversation with your manager ASAP. The talk track goes something like this: “Hey, manager, as we’re rolling through Q4, I just want to have an informal conversation about my growth and progression [this separates the conversation about the formal step-back]. We had talked about my need to do XYZ to get to the next level; how do you feel like I’m tracking towards that?”

3. Does my manager have what she needs to make the case for my promotion?  

→ What accolades or documentation can I provide?

→ What did I do earlier in the year that she might have forgotten about?

Your manager will need to go to bat for you and make a strong recommendation for your promotion - don’t assume that she has the time and mental space to make a stellar argument without your support. Make that process easy for her by giving her the talk track that she can leverage to fight for you (see your points from question 1).

Remember: generally you get promoted after you’ve been doing the job for 6+ months. So help her demonstrate that you’ve already been crushing it at that next level consistently for months, and thus you need the title and the compensation to match.

Exciting news! In honor of the performance review season, I’m opening up my expertise to you in a new way. 

Starting today through Nov. 19th, you can enroll in my End of Year Glow Up Intensive. More info here. This is a unique opportunity to work with me in a bite-sized way and focus on a leadership challenge of your choice. 

You get to choose from 4 different areas of focus: getting your next promotion, healing from burnout, managing up, or an agenda of your choice. You’ll get 3 high-powered 1-1 sessions and asynchronous access to me for a month to make transformative progress in that area so that you can start the new year on your terms. 

I’ve never done anything like this before and I won’t do it again for a long while. So, if you’ve been wondering what it’s like to work with me, this is your chance to get outsized results in a short period of time. 

Early-bird pricing ends on Nov. 15th and enrollment ends on the 19th. I only have space for a few clients; why shouldn’t you get the EOY Glow Up you deserve? 

Cheers,

McKay