August 23, 2006	Volume 6, Issue 34
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How to Get Promoted in Place

by Rick Brenner

Do you think you're overdue for a promotion? Many of us do, judging by the number of Web pages that talk about promotions, getting promoted or asking for promotions. What you do to get a promotion depends on what you're aiming for.

here are three types of promotions: promotion in place, promotion in line, and the diagonal jump. A promotion in place is a change in grade with little change of responsibility; a promotion in line is a change in grade with substantially changed and increased responsibility, usually to the next supervisory level; and a diagonal jump is a change in grade combined with a move to a different organization. In this article, I'll focus on the promotion in place; I'll cover the other two in articles to come.

Promotion in general is no longer a reward for past performance. Rather, it's almost always about the needs of the employer. To achieve a promotion in place, your task is to present your employer with an enticing opportunity to get more value from you. Here are some tips for making your promotion in place a success.

Attend to relationships

Promotions in place are relatively rare, and everyone knows that if you're promoted, you'll still be around. Attend to your relationships with everyone you work with, especially your supervisor. Make them happy you were promoted. A promotion in place
is a change in grade
with little change
of responsibility.
If you get promoted in
place, you'll still be around.

Get known as a resource

Offer your expertise freely and publicly. Seek opportunities to present status, overviews and reviews of your area of expertise. Read, network and volunteer for cross-functional teams. Attend conferences, even without employer support.

Document your contributions

Keep a working journal, entering evidence of the value of your contributions, your positive attitude, and your willingness to go beyond expectations. Writing about these things creates an urge to do things you can write about.

Know that your contributions won't change in kind

Your contributions before and after promotion will be similar, but promotion creates opportunities to make more important contributions. You might find yourself attending higher-level meetings, or you might be offered spots on more mission-critical teams.

Understand your employer's goals

We promote in place because we want to keep good people by keeping status, title and compensation in alignment with value delivered. If value delivered gets ahead of status, title or compensation, the organization begins to obstruct further contributions ("He's getting too uppity"), which can lead to conflict and frustration.

Check the resources

There are risks. Promotions in place are usually based on contributed value, which we expect to increase after the promotion. But increased contributed value usually requires increased resources, including things like training, space and access to conferences. Before you accept a promotion in place, consider whether the available resources will support it.

Because contributed value is so important to a promotion in place, the temptation to appropriate credit for contributions of others (especially subordinates) can be overwhelming. Be aware that you could become a target, or even succumb to temptation yourself. Openly public generosity is the key.  Top    Next Issue

For more on promotions, see "How to Get a Promotion: the Inside Stuff," Point Lookout for August 16, 2006, and "How to Get a Promotion in Line," Point Lookout for September 13, 2006.

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Related articles

More articles on Workplace Politics:

Devious Political Tactics: Credit Appropriation

Managers and supervisors who take credit for the work of subordinates or others who feel powerless are using a tactic I call Credit Appropriation. It's the mark of the unsophisticated political operator.

Devious Political Tactics: The False Opportunity

Workplace politics can make any environment dangerous, both to your career and to your health. This excerpt from my little catalog of devious political tactics describes the false opportunity, which appears to be a chance to perform, to contribute, or to make a real difference. It's often something else.

When Power Attends the Meeting

When the boss or supervisor of the chair of a regular meeting "sits in," disruption almost inevitably results, and it's usually invisible to the visitor. Here are some of the risks of sitting in on the meetings of your subordinates.

Devious Political Tactics: Cutouts

Cutouts are people or procedures that enable political operators to communicate in safety. Using cutouts, operators can manipulate their environments while limiting their personal risk. How can you detect cutouts? And what can you do about them?

When Leaders Fight

Organizations often pretend that feuds between leaders do not exist. But when the two most powerful people in your organization go head-to-head, everyone in the organization suffers. How can you survive a feud between people above you in the org chart?

See also Workplace Politics and Managing Your Boss for more related articles.

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