It’s the end of the first week of the year, and promotion conversations are already in full swing.
This week, I met with three Senior Directors aiming for VP. All three shared similar—and very understandable—frustrations with their companies’ promotion processes.
Across all three conversations, we landed on the same set of solutions:
1) Get crystal clear on development criteria—directly from your boss.
This sounds simple, but it rarely is. I often hear feedback like “have better presence” or “think bigger,” without clarity on what that actually looks like in practice. If your boss or sponsors don’t give you specific examples, ask for them (or offer up some) and reflect back what you’re hearing to make sure you’re aligned. For example:
“Take more initiative by asking questions in weekly business reviews.”
“State your POV earlier and more often in monthly product meetings.”
“Proactively propose what’s next for the product based on a deep exploration of new markets.”
“Give your direct reports visibility with my peers by having them present part of your next board presentation.”
2) Get clear—at least preliminarily—on who decides your promotion.
Sometimes it’s two people. More often, it’s a committee that includes your boss’s peers and your skip-level. Spend the next 3, 6, or 9 months intentionally building relationships with them. Request one-on-one meetings with a single agenda item. Yes, it’s a meet-and-greet, but a substantive topic that’s relevant to them is what gets the meeting. Often, you’ll need to work through their admin. Make it coffee. Or a walk.
3) Get support to build skills and stay accountable.
Whether it’s a professional coach, peer coach, or peer cohort, support matters. It’s like physical/weight training—having someone alongside you deepens learning and increases follow-through.
