Time for That Promotion?

Over the years a succession of Royal Caribbean colleagues have come to see me when they believe it’s time for them to be promoted. When they confide in me it’s obvious there’s an alarm clock ringing in their heads that’s telling them now is the time. The decibel level (that only they hear) is such that they cannot see how the company fails to recognize the obviousness of the proposition that their time has come.

My advice to most of those people has been consistent over the last two decades: You need to be excellent, you need to be patient and you need to be lucky. And the first two will usually produce the third.

While the people who come to see me in this condition have the commonality of the alarm clock ringing, the variation in how they handle the timing and substance of the conversation varies considerably. As a result, my ability to influence their situation also varies considerably. As a senior executive, I have the possibility of influencing the outcome of these situations. But I’m not a magician with a wand to wave.

Some of the best mentoring conversations I’ve ever had have emanated from this exact context. I remember one person who said he loved the company, had no intention of leaving but genuinely felt that he had made enough of a contribution to merit promotion from Manager to Director. We had an excellent dialogue about timing, options and opportunities for improvement. He was promoted within the year and went on to have a long and successful career at the company. His patience and attitude gave me and the company the possibility of creating the forward progress he aspired to achieve. On the other hand, if a person comes and says “I’ve resigned because no one appreciates me here”, then I feel like a quarterback whose sole remaining option is a Hail Mary pass into the end zone.

There’s nothing wrong with ambition provided it’s matched up with dedication and performance. Long before your alarm bell starts ringing, engage with your mentors, network with your colleagues and seek mutually productive conversations with your supervisors about your potential and career path. Give them the opportunity and incentive to make things happen for you. They won’t hear the bells ringing when the alarm has gone off in your head, so there’s no point in waiting for that moment to start the crucial conversation.

Photo: Royal Caribbean International

Related articles by Adam Goldstein:

• Build a Great Team at Work and at Home
• How to Connect with a Colleague When You Have Conflicting Interests
• The Big Impact of Small Things Like Saying 'Hello'
• How to Motivate Your Team to Want to Work for You