Make the case for your promotion
Promotion document framework
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No one becomes an executive by waiting to be promoted.
Make it happen sooner by starting your own promotion document.
Here's a framework you can use.
Background:
Generally, promotion documents for higher levels cover 2 things.
The scope and challenge of the role. Does it need a leader at the next level? Does the company need to invest in (pay) to get the job done well?
The performance of the candidate (you).
These will be the sections of your document, and each section will have subsections.
Section 1: Scope, Challenge, and Value
Headcount Scope. You want to develop this by comparing smaller challenges or headcounts with a leader of your target level or above.
I share advice on how to get scope in a flat or downsizing environment here.
Challenge/Value. Describe why the work of this role is critical to the company and why it is complex and ambiguous. This is how you make the case that it should be led by a senior person.
If you feel you are being overlooked for promotion, here are potential reasons.
If you are a Senior Manager and feel stuck, these are the 3 main reasons.
Section 2: Your Performance
A brief summary of your strongest points and key accomplishments. Think of this as your promotion "elevator pitch". A tight paragraph or two that makes the key case for why you are qualified to do the job you describe above.
Company-specific performance standards. If your company has specific performance standards, like a set of values you must maintain or criteria used for reviews, cover your performance in terms of these standards.
If there are many criteria or a lot of standards you do not need to address them all, but make sure to include the ones that are most important for the target role.
IMPORTANT: If you have a known weakness that people are likely to point to (most people do; none of us are perfect), this is the place to address it. Acknowledge it exists, document the action plan to mitigate it, and describe progress you have made in addressing that weakness. It is better to own the problem and show how you are addressing it than to have someone bring it up and put you (or your manager) on the defensive.
An Amazon VP shared that she sees attitude as a deciding factor for promotions in today's low-growth environment, read here.
What peers say about you. Try to include feedback from peers at your target level or higher, if possible. You can ask your manager to help get this feedback if necessary. The idea is that they state their support for your promotion and say that they see you as a leader at that level.
Creating a document like this is a great way to show you are serious about taking on more responsibility and to make the idea of your promotion more of a concrete possibility.
Feel free to use this exact structure.
I hope this advice helps you plan ahead for your career. If you’re looking for help growing in your organization and leveling up your career, consider my course, Stuck at Senior Manager - How to Break Through to Executive (next live cohort is September 7-8). There is an entire section covering the promotion process in-depth (prerequisities, process, steps).
If you’re already in executive roles (e.g. Director, Sr. Director, VP) and want to optimize performance or move up further, consider my course, Cracking the C-suite 'How to Get and Master Key Executive Roles' (next live cohort is October 5-6) which I co-teach with Sue Bethanis (Executive Coach & CEO/Founder of Mariposa Leadership) who has coached 400+ tech executives and was my best coach when I was an Amazon VP.
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Level Up is your source for career growth solutions & community by retired Amazon Vice President, Ethan Evans.