How to get promoted blog 4: Maximise your internal network

It’s a fact of life that we are rarely in the room when key conversations about our impending promotion take place. So, we need to rely on others for their support. Yes, getting the boss on-side is important, but how much clout do they really have? This is where our network comes in; the more influencers we have on our side the better the chances there are of getting the outcome we want.

So, think about creating a “surround sound” of voices supporting you and your application. Obviously, this is a useful force during a promotion meeting, however, if you have a range of advocates during those more informal “water cooler” conversations, then the pathway to your promotion should be smoother.

Start with your team. Are you reliable and a team player? What do your colleagues think and say about you, particularly when you are not around? Is your team advocating for you, particularly when it comes to your promotion?

Next up, how do you interact with other departments? Are you known at all by colleagues outside your immediate team? If not, think about getting known in a positive way. Make those after work drinks even though you are tired and would prefer to go home. Do favours when asked; share knowledge; be available if you can for other teams’ moments of stress.

And then, what about your relationship with the wider organisation? How well known are you? Do you participate in company-wide activities? Most importantly, are you known and, hopefully, trusted by more senior leaders, maybe those that might be on a selection or promotion committee? What do you feel comfortable doing that will get you seen in a positive light across the organisation? Crack this intangible reputation and it will both support your promotion and your progression more generally.

Finally, find out who will be in the room for that critical discussion and do what you can to get to know them, and, critically, for them to get to know you. We are all much more likely to support someone we know, particularly when all other things are equal. So, know your audience, understand the challenge and create the surround sound system that works for you.

Galvanising support from your team, your colleagues and the wider organisation is a powerful career tool. In particular, becoming known as somebody who embodies the organisation’s culture can be a useful career lever; the more a part of the fabric of the business you are the greater the risk the business runs in not giving you the promotion you deserve.