Growing careers when
I can’t promote

Three Steps

I’ve faced this challenge a few times. It’s a flat org, the org only promotes if there is an opening, or the budget just doesn’t allow it. I hate losing good people because I can’t promote.

I address people’s ambitions in a different way - I expand skills and responsibility. I work to keep the person interested and prepare them for a new title when it becomes available. And I take the risk that the new title might be outside of my org.

I use three approaches: connecting with the person’s ambition, absolute alignment of job expectations, and growth plans.

Step 1

Discover Ambitions

As part of my leadership style, I ask a lot of questions about a person’s career aspirations and their ambition.

Sample questions to learn ambition

Do they want to be a manager? A senior-level individual contributor?
What’s an area that interests them that they don’t get to do?
What skills do they have that are untapped?

Step 2

Clarity of Current Role & Self Assessment

I make sure everyone is clear on the current role. More than a job description - the daily expectations that make a good designer.

Starting from zero at AIG, I used four groups.

I added details based on role (not individual) and the person completed the self evaluation.

Craft

T-shaped skills that include everything from user research, facilitation, process diagrams, wires/comps/code, animation, etc.

Communication

The ability to negotiate, give and receive feedback, and maintain relationships,

Collaboration

Text, diagrams, presentations - the ability to articulately convey one’s thoughts. It’s old but good: if you can communicate your idea, it doesn’t exist.

Business

Ability to understand how the company makes money, the difference between growth and cost saving, and how to measure their work in those terms.

Craft

Animation

Communication

Present to stakeholders

Collaboration

Get feedback from collaborators

Business

Define the biz metrics for your project

Zero / Some

Professional

Expert

I want to learn more

Core Skills for Role