So, You Didn't Get the Promotion

A long time ago, I reported to a person who reported to the chief technology officer of a company (one step removed from the CTO). Then one day, someone else because a boss between me and the boss I had (two steps removed). Then, a job opened up to be my boss (again) and I applied to it. I didn't get the job.

At the time, I was convinced this was unjust. And pay attention to my thought process:

• I've been here a long time.
• I know everyone in the company (reasoning that I can get things done).
• I know my job that I do now really well, so who better to be the boss of the role?

Now, years later, with the benefit of hindsight, I know why I didn't get the promotion.

Maybe you've been in a similar moment. Perhaps you wanted to advance inside the company, but didn't get the promotion. And maybe like me back then, you were upset, but in no way really effective in finding out how to get the promotion. I want to help.

Show Me Your Leadership Capabilities

Watch this little clip of when Bill Hader worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger (I think I have it cued up the right way):

When you're seeking a promotion, the boss above that role you want is seeking someone who can deliver capabilities that reduce workload on themselves. Meaning, putting a leader between you and a team from the boss's point of view is all about "I need someone to lead these people so that I can lead the leaders."

I think when you or I are thinking about a promotion, we're thinking from our autobiography. We're thinking one of my least favorite phrases: "I deserve this." (Gahhhhh.) But what is far more true is that we're ready for a promotion when we're ready to demonstrate our leadership capabilities.

Get a Meeting with the Boss

This is what to do first when you're not promoted: ask yourself whether you honestly have what it takes to do the role. I say this to eliminate the possibility that, like me, you think you should have the role because you "deserve" it. If YOU think you're qualified and the boss doesn't, ask for a 1:1 with the boss.

"I understand you're going another way with the role. It's a role I really want. Can you help me map out the capabilities I need to demonstrate to convince you in future situations that I'm qualified for this or other advanced roles? OR can you tell me whether you think I'm a dead-ender here, and I should maybe re-align?"

If you can have this conversation, frankly, with less ego, and with an eye towards not just your advancement but the needs of the business, this meeting might be one of the best of your career.

Oh, but this presumes another detail: that your boss is someone you respect and value. I forgot to say this earlier, so I'll say it now: if you think your boss is poopy, it's unlikely that you'll advance. Period. Because either they ARE poopy, or you're not aligned well with their view of the world. Either way, it's just a recipe for friction.

Pawn Shop

In moments where advancement doesn't happen, it's easy to feel unimportant. The thing is this: in chess, pawns are just as deadly as the Queen, but only if played by someone with a master's view of the board.

(I don't know chess well enough to keep this analogy going.)

The idea is that sometimes, you're not looking at the larger board (the organization, the landscape, etc). It's tricky. Because if you don't feel some kind of expression of compensation or reward or advancement, you start to feel underappreciated. That's real. That's fair. And yet, sometimes the play is to stand pat for a little, and look for the right time to seek an advancement. When times are tough, it takes a bit more consideration and thought to chase promotion.

Far Less Personal

If you're fortunate enough to work for a company with great culture (I work at one such company), it's important to remember that promotions aren't a personal matter. They're a function of working on systems of humans to make a nice cohesive team. Work is about reducing friction and promoting flow, right? With those kinds of truths in your heart, you can spend less time wondering what is "wrong" with you, and instead, work from the mindset that maybe there are some other ways to be better applied.

Whether that's to stay where you are in your role, to seek internal mobility, or start working with your boss on improving those areas of your performance that maybe held you back from a certain promotion, it you accept and understand that it's not about YOU, it's about a point in time, performance, fit, and things like that, it makes the work of getting yourself in alignment for a future promotion much more productive.

One Last Thought - Mentorship

We sometimes make the mistake of thinking only our direct supervisor can give you guidance and mentorship. Well, to that, I say horse toots. You can find mentors and guidance anywhere. You can get peers to give you advice. You can reach out to other leaders in your organization, and you can talk to people in other industries, as well.

Sometimes, you can even just read books to learn. I'm re-reading Chris Whipple's book about US presidential Chiefs of Staff, called The Gatekeepers. It's a wonderful view of the people keeping the president of the US in good working order, from Nixon to Trump's first term. I'm learning a LOT about my next level from my second read of this book, a few years after I first absorbed this in preparation for my own role.

So, even books can be your mentor.

Sorry you didn't get the promotion, but maybe there are some actions you can take to get there next time?

Chris...