One question to boost your career
“How close am I to being considered for promotion?”
That's it. One simple question... and the key is once you have asked this question, to stop talking then and let your manager respond (where most people tend to continue on justifying why they are asking, explaining the background etc. and suddenly, the question is lost in the noise).
This question is not about chasing a promotion. It is about understanding where you are in your role - Testing your assumption vs. your manager's perception and seeking to get aligned on facts and specifics.
No matter what the answer, this question is doing a few things:
Letting your manager know that you are ambitious
Opening a space for a performance conversation
Creating a common understanding of where you are today and where you want to go
The question sounds simple in theory but I know in reality, people find this really difficult. It is human and vulnerable to ask such a direct question. I get it but like anything, with some practice it will become easier to raise these important questions.
To help you feel prepared, below are some of the common concerns that I hear and how I think about each:
My manager is new so it is not fair to ask this?
If your manager’s job is to support your development, then this is a fair question to ask. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, when they are fully onboarded, you could introduce the conversation earlier in this way
How about trying - “As you are settling in, I would be very helpful if you could collect the information you need to understand how close I am to being considered for promotion?”
To create even more accountability, you could agree on a date for when you will check back in on the conversation. If nothing else, by asking the question, you are making sure you (and your team) are high on the list in your manager's ramp plan.
What if my manager doesn’t answer the question?
It happens... all the time. That doesn’t stop you asking the question though 🙂 If your manager's job is to support your development, then I believe that they need to be able to navigate these conversations.
If you find your manager dodging or deflecting, here are some follow-ons you might try:
How am I performing today?
What should I focus on to work towards the next level?
What results would you need to see to feel like I am ready for promotion consideration?
The more real conversations you can get going, the better. Shying away from hard conversations is not helping anyone but we are all human and need to learn to grow. Practice makes perfect (on both sides).
I am afraid that my manager will tell me I am far from promotion.
Great! Well done for acknowledging what is holding you back.
I would encourage you to think about the conversation as a fact finding mission.
You may hear some thoughts that are hard to take but in reality, it is better to have the facts and know where you stand, instead of living with a fictional story in your head.
A sign of a great partnership with your manager is one that is open and challenging.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, jot down the facts, take some time to digest after the meeting and come back and address any follow-on questions the next time.
Will my manager not think that I am getting carried away?
Maybe they will, maybe they won’t - Your job is to best represent yourself, not to decide how your manager will feel.
If you know that you are too far from promotion to ask, another way to start the conversation is to pivot it to “How am I performing in my role today vs. your expectation?”
Is it not too early in my role to ask this question?
Yes - In the early stages it is too early. This question is for when you are comfortable in your role and are performing solidly.
In the early stages, you can still check in “How is my onboarding going vs. your expectations?” or “When would be a good time to learn more about the promotion trajectory?”
I believe it is never too early to build an open and honest relationship with your manager.
Give it a try and congratulate yourself for trying. As always, it is as much about the practice as the outcome.
