How to get the promotion you deserve?
The year was 2005, and I was still nascent in the world of technology. I hadn’t yet discovered my passion projects in technology. I was still learning the ropes of the corporate world. However, there was one thing I did well — I always delivered results. What baffled me was if I was delivering results, why was the person next to me getting multiple promotions, and I remained at my same position, a senior manager?
Today I have a few promotions under my belt and look back at the time that I wanted a promotion but did not know how to get there.
Here are some things that helped me get from a Manager to a Senior Manager to a Director and now to a Chief Technology Officer.
First things first — You got to deliver results and be at the top of your game. All things remaining equal — think about how you can stay ahead of others in your team or outside your organization?
These are some tips and techniques that have helped me. Some I learned by observation, others with the help of books, and finally, with the help of a course that I purchased.
I must warn you that you need the patience to see the results. The more chaotic your company is, the higher the chances of making a difference, and things will move fast.
1. Act before the ask:
We all excel in our field — whether it is ensuring that we deliver on time and with high quality or in the case of a Manager, making sure your team is on top of the game. One of the lesser-known secrets is volunteering for a project that could make a difference.
I remember it was 2011, and my company was thinking about a new Cloud offering (Cloud was a new thing then). As a product manager, I was in a few meetings where there were high-level discussions. I picked one specific area of interest — Billing. How can we solve the problem of billing for the Cloud services? There are many creative ways to solve this problem. Make or buy decision? I did my research — both online and offline. Online — I read the best industry whitepapers, research articles, journals, etc. Offline — I spoke to others in the industry who had already productized a cloud solution or standing one up. Soon, I came to know what would work best for us in terms of the billing solution. Recommended it and substantiated with some vendor presentations. Bingo! The product I recommended was selected.
Think about a problem that needs to be solved. The larger your company, there are potentially more problem areas. Pick something that adds value to your organization — Does it increase revenue or reduce cost? Now, go and do your homework — online and offline research, conversations with an industry expert, etc. Come back with a recommendation and plan of action. Even if this one project is not selected, leadership would see your due diligence and think of you for the next impactful project.
2. Sit at the front of the table:
This one is something both symbolic and metaphorical. Firstly, don’t miss meetings that have leadership or senior executives. Second, come prepared for the meeting to ask specific questions. No one prepares for meetings in general; even if you spend 10 minutes preparing based on the agenda, you are already ahead of your colleagues. Contribute as much as you can. When there is a round of “are there any questions?” always speak up based on your preparation. It shows that you are proactive, take action, and are better suited for the upcoming project. Executive presence is a leadership quality that everyone looks up to.
3. Don’t miss the company picnic:
Or the company party. You get to interact with others in a social setting. Social settings makes people friendlier, and you get to know them better. Talking about your family, hobbies, travels, or even recent Netflix specials, will encourage bonding with your co-workers as well as executives. It is not enough to do good work; it is essential to understand who should know about the excellent work you are doing. Establishing rapport makes it easier to connect with them when you go back to the office. Water cooler conversations need not be awkward anymore. You will notice how the flow of dialogue from where you vacationed to the next big project will be seamless.
4. Stay ahead of the curve:
This one took me some time to master. Often we are heads down and do not wonder enough about what is going on in other departments of the organization or your industry in general. If you are in the world of technology, like me, there are two sectors to look at — tech as well as the industry vertical. I have worked in verticals like manufacturing, supply chain/logistics, high-tech, and currently in Healthcare. I had never focused on the industry sector but more in the technology world. These days I pay attention to both Healthcare and technology.
Attending meetups, events, seminars, and conferences is not nice-to-do activity but a must-do activity to enable you to stay ahead of the curve. Networking with peers from other organizations will help you compare notes about the projects you are working on, future job opportunities, or even speaking engagements. Another way to stay ahead is to read best in class industry blogs and journals. For example, since I am in the world of AI, I spend at least half an hour everyday reading blogs, news articles, and journals about machine learning, trends in AI, data science, predictive analytics, etc.
5. Take bold action :
Sometimes we have bold ideas, but we do not present them or take action. I am guilty of this. Bold work is difficult for us all because it comes with feedback — both positive and negative. Most organizations are like a large ship, and bold actions ripple the waters and might cause a stir. However, it is the bold actions that can steer the boat in a different direction. I remember when I was with a large transportation organization and first introduced Agile for software projects. There was a lot of resistance initially. I had to appeal to multiple stakeholders in various formats to get them on board. For the executives, I made a presentation comparing the costs of running a project using traditional waterfall methods versus Agile. For software developers, I did a skit that showed the pains of the changes in requirements. For project managers, I spoke one-on-one to help them understand how this will make their lives easier. There were a lot of questions and finger-pointing. However, I persisted and piloted at least two multi-million dollar projects within eight months. Think about industry trends that others are implementing and what you can bring back to your organization. Make recommendations to pilot or prototype. If there is a budget constraint, ask about using interns for a quick 3-month pilot project. While taking bold actions, make sure to speak about it with your colleagues, executives, team members, and sometimes even co-workers from other departments. It will help you assess the layout of the land — who is on your side, who is opposing, and why and how you can address common concerns. Change Management is the cornerstone of every large project and cannot be achieved without taking bold action.
In conclusion, there are many ways to get promoted; these are some fail-proof ways that have worked for me and others that I have observed over my career of 20+ years in the tech industry. Promotion and leadership come with a price tag and added responsibilities, emotional intelligence, and management acumen. If you think you are ready to get there, don’t let anything stop you.
