How Do I Bravely Address Promotions?
With the next quarter looming, hands up who feels squirmy asking a boss (or manager) for your next promotion? Whether it’s defining what you want or feeling brave asking for it, this article offers tips and strategies to look (and seem) fearless vs. fearful when stating what you want (and need) to grow.
Step One: Figure Out What’s Scary in the First Place
If you’ve clicked on this post, something feels spooky about asking for your next move. With your coach, or through your journaling — even speaking with a pal — unpack all negative emotions surfacing around this ask. Knowing that any anxiety becomes fear induced, you might fear:
- Past mishaps penalizing you for this next career stage
- A boss not viewing you as ‘ready’
- The actual message, what segue and tone to use, i.e. strident and knowing vs. needy or desperate
- Specifics on describing the ‘why’
Whatever emotions come up, get super curious about their origin. Real folly exists in not addressing your fears as you’ll appear fearful vs. confident in your ask. You also leave yourself open to feeling triggered when/if your boss opens a can of worms you’ve not yet addressed.
Step Two: Time the Conversation Wisely
Does truly excellent timing exist for asking for a promotion? Perhaps not. But having strategy around timing can increase your chances for yielding a ‘yes’ — what we’re going for! Consider the following as you strategize on timing for this exciting, brave ask:
- Time the message soon after an undeniable win; that way, your boss/decision maker will see your leadership potential with fresh and familiar eyes
- Wait six months into a new role before addressing a new one
- Research when promotions occur; then, chat at least two months prior. (Most promotions come from several vs. one conversation; and you need time to add to your case.)
- Notice the energy levels of your decision maker and time the ask at their peak vs. low energy of their day. Daniel H. Pink discusses in “When, the Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing,” we all hit a “trough” in our day where we’re more prone to errors, moodiness and negativity. The point here: Avoid asking when your boss is hungry, tired, or feeling foul for other reasons.
Step Three: Establish a Lead In and Make the Ask
Now you’ve addressed your fears and determined the timing, you can segue into the conversation. Just as we craft buffers for delivering bad news, a few short, but well-crafted intro phrases can make this segue feel smooth. You know your boss’ communication style best, but I recommend the direct approach (the brave approach) which might include:
- Brief permission to discuss the potential of a raise and confirmation now’s a good time.
- Brief statement declaring your want of a raise/promotion, the reasons why, and why now. (Tip: Use plain and compelling language, no jargon here.)
- Brief request for insight from your boss on steps to get you there.
By adding this last component, asking your boss to weigh in on the viability of the promotion, you’re empowering them to guide you, which you can hash out in follow-up sessions.
You might also hint to your boss, prior to this first conversation, you want to discuss your progression within this meeting. The goal becomes avoiding any surprises so your boss, your audience, has time to process things — and support you.
Step Four: Sound and Feel Persuasive vs. Pushy
A few small final tips and then I’ll leave you be with promotions. When it comes to asking for more, most communicators I’ve coached want to sound confident, assertive, but not pushy, arrogant, or entitled. (Does this desired tone sound right? If not, write to me on how you want to sound!) To get there, ensure you’re:
- Grounded and calm (by meditating, doing yoga, PQ reps, or other mindful activities prior and even during the meeting). This step helps you feel more accepting of the outcome and more peaceful, too.
- Informed. Show vs. tell what you’ve done to warrant the promotion. Come prepared.
- Honest and vulnerable. Briefly own up front why you feel you’ve not won a promotion yet; but then what’s changed to turn that ship around. (This vital step helps you seem more executive, more confident. Failure to address what might have gotten in the way could mean the boss tackles things in ways that hijack you.)
- Open and curious. Share a little; then, ask your audience what they think, sense or feel. You might share your opinion; then, ask: What do you see? What’s there for you?
- Spacious. Provide comfortable pauses for your audience, the boss, to reflect and ponder. Avoid filling the space with nervous chatter.
Step Five: Persuade Using Emotions and Logic
As you share your reasons, ensure you’re using emotional and logical appeal as you convey the reasons for promoting you. Logical appeal might include:
- Data, like increased sales, lower turnover under your guidance
- Specifics on your achievements on a cultural front, like boosted morale, more comfort with productive conflict
- Successes of projects you’ve touched or spearheaded
Emotional appeal might include:
- Pride of what you’ve achieved and feeling ready for the next level
- Fear that an absence of promotion might stagnate you, but without threatening you’ll leave
- Joy of working within this team and with this boss and wanting to contribute more
As you gather specifics for your case, always consider what’s in it for the audience? How does the organization benefit from you rising in the ranks?
Now you’ve five tips and strategies for raising a promotion at your next one-on-one with your boss. Going in, you’ll feel more confident — and with that, hopefully you’ll win the role you’re going for. May the force be with you! Want strategy or coaching around this first big ask? Visit my website or click here for a complimentary session.