Too damn many Senior Managers - why you are stuck and not moving up explained
You are smart, hard-working, and deliver a lot.
You began as a skilled individual contributor (IC) and now you have mastered leading teams of 25 to 75+.
Why do you keep hearing "Maybe next cycle, after you (fill in the blank)?"
Too much good competition.
Your peers:
Went to good schools.
Got advanced degrees (MS, MBA, etc.).
Work hard (long hours).
Manage big teams.
Solve hard problems.
Up to your current level, promotions were more about "Do you have the skills" than "Is there an open slot, a need?"
Now, there are just too many of you wanting too few slots.
The biggest factories of such slots, the FANGMA tech companies, have been downsizing.
An average Director has 6 to 10 reports.
In a world of 20% growth and 10% attrition, this meant they needed 2 or 3 new senior managers per year.
In a world of 10% layoffs and few people leaving, they need maybe 1 new Senior Manager every year or so.
Remember, you are already very well paid at this level. Promoting you means paying you a lot more. In a cost-conscious time, companies are talking about being top-heavy and having minimum scope requirements to stay at a level, let alone move up.
You are stuck because the promotion pipeline has been choked closed.
Most of your peers are also talking to your boss about their growth…in a flat headcount, no-growth world.
What can you do?
Find a way to be that one person this year.
How?
Accept that it is competitive and get good at it.
NOTE: Competition does not need to be political. Trying to trip up the other runners in a race is nasty and unnecessary. Instead, let's help you run faster.
Get over expecting it to come how it used to. I *know* you are working hard and I am sorry that is no longer enough. But right now, you need to do more than be good and work hard. Prepare to do more.
Figure out how to have "resounding impact." Hard work is great, but end results are what matter.
Build relationships and trust, particularly in your judgment. In a world of 10 good Senior Managers as your peers, the people above you will promote the person they trust the most.
Why?
Because they do not want to have to worry about the valuable responsibilities you will own. They implicitly act to reduce their own stress. This is only human.
Bottom line: You must stand out in some way. Invention. Revenue creation. Simplification. Presence.
Being the best at one thing beats being very good across the board (e.g. Tom Brady, Elon Musk)
Other Options:
People always ask about jumping companies. That can work too, but has its own challenge (lateral moves and more). I'll cover it another day.
Readers - Please comment and add on!
The obvious: I'm teaching a live online course from September 11-14 on exactly how to Break Through. I will go in-depth on what executives expect, the most common reasons Senior Managers get stuck, and HOW to get unstuck.
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Level Up is a free newsletter from retired Amazon Vice President Ethan Evans that breaks down how he succeeded and how you can get to the next level.