Tips for Strategic Career Growth in Mid-Management

You won’t get promoted for doing your job well. You’ll get promoted for showing you can do the next one. This is where most high performers get stuck: → Heads down → Quietly crushing it → Waiting to be “noticed” But promotions aren’t rewards. They’re investments. And no one invests in potential they can’t see. Here’s how to fix that in 8 steps: 1/ Audit the next level ➝ What does a VP actually do day-to-day? ➝ Look at job postings, internal docs, and talk to current VPs. ➝ Make a list of gaps between your current role and that one. 2/ Start operating above your title ➝ Volunteer for cross-functional projects. ➝ Solve problems outside your job description. ➝ Speak in terms of business outcomes, not just task completion. 3/ Build your strategic voice ➝ In meetings, stop reporting what you did. ➝ Start sharing why it matters and what’s next. ➝ Use the 3-I Formula: Impact, Insight, Intent. 4/ Make your work visible ➝ Send monthly “impact recaps” to your manager. ➝ Tie your results to broader business goals. ➝ Show how you’re solving problems that scale. 5/ Get a sponsor, not just a mentor ➝ Find someone who has a seat at the table. ➝ Ask for feedback—and tell them your career goal. ➝ Make it easy for them to advocate for you. 6/ Stop waiting to be chosen ➝ Book a conversation with your manager. ➝ Say: “Here’s what I’m doing to operate at the next level. I’d like your support in getting there.” ➝ Ask: “What would you need to see for that to happen?” 7/ Keep receipts ➝ Track every measurable win. ➝ Include cross-team wins, cost savings, and leadership moments. ➝ Make your case undeniable. 8/ Play the long game ➝ Promotions take time and alignment. ➝ But if you’re doing the job already—it’s easier to make it official. ➝ Stay consistent. Stay visible. Stay strategic. 💡 Reminder: You don’t “earn” a promotion by waiting quietly. You earn it by making your next-level potential obvious. — ♻️ Repost to help someone stop being overlooked and start getting seen.

Want a promotion? It takes more than just “working hard” (though that helps). It takes strategy, visibility, and growth. Here are 9 practical tips that can actually move the needle: Think like your boss’s boss – Start aligning your work with bigger goals, not just your job description. Document your wins – Keep a running list of impact metrics and success stories. You’ll need them. Ask for more responsibility – Don’t wait for permission. Step up before the title shows up. Speak the language of business – Know how your work affects revenue, customers, efficiency, or reputation. Make yourself replaceable – Train others. Systems > heroics. Leaders create leverage. Build cross-team relationships – Promotions often come from people outside your immediate circle. Give your manager a success story – Help them justify your promotion. Make their job easier. Ask directly – “What would it take for me to get promoted this year?” is a power move, not a risky one. Act like you already have the job – Show up like a leader before you're called one. No shortcuts. No politics. Just clear moves that build trust, influence, and value. Which one do you think is most important? #CareerGrowth #PromotionTips #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceSuccess #ProfessionalGrowth

📌 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗧𝗠 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Are you frustrated that you can’t get to the next career level faster? Maybe it seems like the goal posts keep moving. You're not the only one facing this. Many high-achievers grapple with feeling undervalued, dealing with fears, and a lack of recognition for their potential. 💥 It's a complex gameboard where your career progression and status are continuously tested. The cost of not actively seeking that promotion? Career stagnation, untapped potential, and a drop in job satisfaction. This is where the concept of GameboardingTM comes into play. GameboardingTM is about recognizing and leveraging the unseen patterns and dynamics in your professional environment. It's understanding the hidden rules and strategic moves that dictate outcomes in your career. 📈 Only when you can read these hidden patterns can you master the game and ascend to the next level or get that coveted promotion, faster. To effectively apply GameboardingTM in your pursuit of advancement: ✔️ Pedigree: What is the word that comes to mind when the decision-makers think of you? Impact, Complainer, Disruptor? Your brand matters, at an immediate unconscious level. What to do? Craft and showcase your unique professional identity, aligning it with your career aspirations. ✔️ Performance: A CEO I coached said he makes promotions based upon the person already doing the job at the new level. Adapt, and make strategic moves that align with your promotion goals. ✔️ Political Savvy: It’s required. Your gameboard often requires more than merit to accelerate your career. Build a powerful network with key influencers and decision-makers, focusing on creating meaningful, reciprocal relationships. Remember, promotions are significantly influenced by how well you play the game of perception regarding pedigree, performance, and political savvy. Seek mentorship or coaching to provide valuable insights into navigating these dynamics, faster. Have you ever felt like you were playing an unseen game on your path to promotion? It’s Game On.👊🏻 #management #motivation #personaldevelopment #strategy #leadership #seniorexecutives

Here's the promotion strategy most professionals completely miss: being amazing at your current job doesn't automatically get you promoted. I see this mistake constantly. People think exceptional performance equals advancement, but that's not how promotion decisions actually work. Companies don't promote you for mastering your current role - they promote you when you've already proven you can handle the next level. Here's the strategic shift you need to make: Stop waiting for recognition of past achievements. Start demonstrating future capabilities right now. How to operate at the next level before you get there: 1. Think beyond your immediate responsibilities - Understand broader business challenges and opportunities. Your perspective needs to expand beyond your current scope. 2. Contribute strategic insights, not just status updates - During meetings, present solutions and analysis, not just task completion reports. 3. Communicate with next-level authority - Present solutions, not just problems. Your communication style should reflect the level you want, not where you are. 4. Take initiative on stretch projects - Demonstrate leadership capability before receiving the formal title. Show them you can handle increased responsibility. The visibility factor is everything: Companies promote people who have already proven they can handle more responsibility, not those who might be capable with proper development. By consistently operating at your desired level, you make promotion the logical next step rather than a developmental risk. You eliminate the guesswork about your readiness and position yourself as the obvious choice when opportunities arise. What strategies have you found most effective for demonstrating readiness for advancement? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://vist.ly/3ycta #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #careeradvancement #promotionstrategies #leadershipdevelopment #careerstrategist

One-on-one meetings with your manager - source of growth and support or a frustrating experience ❓ Questions to turn those meetings into productive, meaningful conversations. First, don't be shy about steering the conversation in a direction that suits you. Here are some categories of questions you can use: 👉 Ask for Guidance and Input: Got challenges or struggling with something (let's call it "X")? Ask your manager for help in navigating and addressing it successfully. Need more resources for project "Y"? Seek ideas and thoughts. Have a brilliant idea "Z"? Get your manager's input on how to make it even better. 👉 Clarify Priorities and Expectations: Make sure you and your manager are on the same page. What should you be prioritizing? Are you taking on the right projects and tasks? Are you meeting your goals and expectations? 👉 Align with the Organization and Its Strategy: Understand how your role fits into the broader strategic goals of the organization. What's happening beyond your department that you should know about? How does your work tie into the company's goals and strategy? 👉 Seek Growth Opportunities and Career Advancement: Talk about your professional goals. What can you do to prepare for greater opportunities? How can you improve and develop to align with the organization's direction? Get insights into your strengths and the next steps in your career. 👉 Get Feedback on Your Performance: Check in on your performance without turning every meeting into a formal evaluation. Are you meeting expectations? What feedback can your manager share about your work? 👉 Build a Relationship: Connect with your manager personally. Ask about their day, how they're doing overall, and what excites them outside of work. It's not all business, you know! 👉 Offer Support: Managers need help too! Ask about their priorities and how you can assist. Maybe they have something keeping them up at night that you can lend a hand with. Now, remember, you don't have to bombard your manager with all these questions in one go! Pick a category or two for each meeting and rotate through them over time, and don't be afraid to dig deeper with follow-up questions like "why?" You'll gain valuable insights into the bigger picture of your work. Use these questions wisely, to turn your 1:1 meetings into an opportunity to build a better relationship with your manager. If you or someone you know is looking for a new role in 2024, DM me "OPENTOWORK" and I'll share ⭐ FREE ⭐ resources to support your job search efforts. 🔽 🔽 🔽 👋 Hi, I'm Graham. Thanks for checking out my Post. Here is what you can do next 🔽 ➕ Follow me to see me in your feed 🔔 Hit the bell on my profile for Post notifications ♻ Inform others in your network via a Share or Repost 📅 Please don't suffer in silence ❗ Book an appointment to discuss your job situation. #career #jobs #business #technology #finance

A bunch of people have said they love my posts/content, but they'd also like to see more advice/thought leadership from me. So here are some thoughts and advice for people at different career stages. Most of this is based on my experience in Marketing and Marketing Ops, but a lot of it could be applied to other functions as well: Early stages of your career: - Learning should be your top priority. Develop skills and an understanding of different functions, beyond what you are specifically doing in your role. - Make enough money to support your lifestyle and your needs, but don't obsess with money. You'll make plenty of money in your career if you do nothing else besides work hard and collaborate. - Seek out mentors. Internally at your company and externally. Ask them a lot of questions. Write down what they say and the advice they give and re-read it every quarter. Keep in touch with them! - In your first 30-60 days in a new job, write down 3 questions during/after every meeting. Review those questions with your manager or mentors once per week and have them provide explanations/answers. - Be confident, but don't be arrogant. I made this mistake! Middle-Management: - Develop the people on your team. Give them reasons to want to stay working for/with you. For example: Find stretch projects for them that keep them motivated. If you don't do this, you will waste a lot of time trying to hire and onboard replacement employees and will never get the benefit of having experienced/trustworthy people on your team. - Learn how to manage up. Anticipate what your leader wants/needs before they ask for it. - Be proactive and begin to build out and present plans that go beyond the next day/week/month and go beyond your core role. Develop surface level-knowledge of other areas of the business so that you can speak intelligently about those areas if/when there is an opportunity to expand your role. - Say "yes" and speak up when there are opportunities to be involved in cross-functional projects. Don't underestimate the value you bring to those projects. Functional/Departmental Leadership: - Hire and retain great managers who you can trust. This is #1 with a bullet. Meet their needs in their career and their personal life. These people need empathy especially because they are often the ones that have families or home/financial responsibilities. - Be a collaborative and enthusiastic partner to other senior level employees. Support your peers and be as enthusiastic about their wins as you are about your own and your team's. - Don't talk in "I's". At this level, success is not what you did, it's what your team did. Give them credit and talk in "We's". Tell your team to keep you honest and call you out on saying "I" too much! - Don't surprise your team. Be transparent with them. I packed a lot into this post. It's my voice but it's a little different than what I've been posting lately. Let me know what you think!

3 Ways to Advocate for Career Growth and That Promotion You Want!   I commonly get asked how I can advocate for myself or speak up about moving up within a company I work for. What do I need to say to my managers to tell them I am looking for something bigger?   Are you looking to take your career to the next level but unsure how to get noticed?   Here are 3 ways to be your own advocate and show leadership you're ready for more:   1. Schedule a Career Development Meeting: - Script: "Hi [Manager Name], I'd love to discuss my career development goals. Would you be available for a meeting in the next couple of weeks?" During the Meeting: - Discuss your accomplishments and how they've benefited the company. - Express your interest in specific growth opportunities or future projects. - Ask for feedback on areas for improvement and a development plan.   2. Take Initiative and Lead Projects: - Script (to a colleague): "I noticed we're facing a challenge with [X]. I have some ideas on how to tackle it. Would you be interested in brainstorming together?" Benefits: - Showcase your problem-solving skills and ability to take ownership. - Gain valuable experience outside your current role. - Get recognized for your proactive approach.   3. Shine During Meetings and Presentations: - Script: "[Summarize key point]. Additionally, I'd like to suggest [your idea] as it could potentially [positive outcome]." Tips: - Be confident and articulate your ideas clearly. - Back up your suggestions with data or previous successes. - Be an active listener and build on others' points.   Advocating for yourself doesn't have to be loud.   Be proactive, take initiatives, and demonstrate your value, and you'll be well on your way to achieving your career goals!   Let me know what you’d add to my list!   #careerdevelopment #promotion #leadership

This post is for my mid-careerers. Over 30 years I have noticed a pattern of mistakes people make in their career strategy. Here are 3 common ones: Nice-to-havers: They became really good at a function that a business can actually survive without or pay less for. GSDers: They work long hours and get-sht-done but they age out of this strategy by burning out or not keeping up with productivity tech. Shining stars: They are high performers in bottom-line relevant roles but they are lone wolves. They are easily replaced by another shining star. My simple strategy for career success avoids these: - be measurably relevant to the value proposition of the business (this doesn’t mean you have to be a revenue generator) - produce more than one person physically can through empowerment, delegation and collaboration - make sure those around you shine as well and be integral to their individual success ECHO bonus… this strategy actually makes your career journey more fulfilling! ❤️ #careerstrategy #success #fulfillment

Are you putting your JOB before Your Career?   Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith authors of How Women Rise, cite this as one of the main reason women stay stuck. You are working on a strategic project. You need to stay up late to talk to your counterparts in Australia. You are invited to an exclusive leadership dinner with the CEO of your company and senior leaders of a sister company. You feel conflicted. You want to show up at the dinner but you also have a big deliverable due the next day. You decide its best to make sure you are doing a good job in your role now instead and keep you eye on the current ball in the air. You miss the opportunity to network with senior leaders who could have career opportunities for you. Or…. You decide to go to dinner and instead ask you number 2 to get on a call with your counterparts in Australia. You feel nervous about trusting your team member in this situation but you realize if you are to step up into a bigger role they will need to step into your role. You see this as a win-win opportunity for everyone to stretch. You feel encouraged and hopeful. 🚀 It takes a lot of discernment and clarity to put your career before your immediate job duties. There is a way you can do both if you allow your creativity and resourcefulness shine through instead of choosing the easy, safe option. 🌟 Here are 3 things you can do when you notice yourself at a choice point between your career and job duties: Prioritize with Purpose: Evaluate the potential long-term impact of your choices. Consider how each decision aligns with your career goals. Sometimes, it might be worth taking a leap and attending that leadership dinner, even if it means delegating tasks to others. It's about strategically investing in your future. Delegate and Empower: Recognize that to grow, you must empower your team. Trust them with important responsibilities and offer guidance. By doing so, you not only ease your immediate workload but also foster growth within your team. It's a win-win situation that can lead to bigger opportunities for everyone involved. Embrace Networking: Networking is a powerful tool for career advancement. Don't miss out on opportunities to connect with senior leaders, mentors, and peers who can provide valuable insights and open doors for you. Step out of your comfort zone and build those essential relationships that can shape your career trajectory. 💡 Remember, it's not about choosing between your career and your current job; it's about finding ways to harmonize them. Be open to exploring unconventional solutions, taking calculated risks, and continuously learning and growing. Your journey to success is a dynamic, evolving path, and it's up to you to make the most of it. 🌐🌆 Let's discuss these strategies and more in the comments! What's your go-to approach when faced with a choice between your career and immediate job duties? 👇 #CareerGrowth #WorkLifeBalance #ProfessionalDevelopment

Despite a rocky start as a software engineer at Google, I was able to compensate for 2.5 years of career stagnation with 2 promotions within one year, followed by becoming a Tech Lead. How did I do it? I took charge of my career and doubled down on my self-management skills. In the workplace, self-management is one’s ability to solve problems independently, show self-awareness, and operate autonomously. For optimal career growth, you still need to self-manage even if you have a manager. Managers don’t have the time or energy to handhold everyone. It’s not a scalable management strategy. When you self-manage, you're not only lightening your manager's workload but you’re also positioning yourself to receive more strategic and high-level guidance. That way, instead of discussing tactical things you can figure out on your own, you and your manager can spend your precious 1-1 time talking about where your career is heading, and how to get grow and get to the next level. The skills needed to self-manage: 1/ You can manage your timelines and deliverables 2/ You can make decisions independently 3/ You find the drive within yourself to start and keep going 4/ You can deal with your emotions in stressful situations 5/ You handle most conflicts on your own without needing to escalate 6/ You don't need your manager to give constructive feedback to others 7/ You build and manage your stakeholders 8/ You own your career development To read my story and learn more about how to build each of these skills, read my in-depth explainer: https://lnkd.in/dppGXpja