148 | Why Promotion Conversations Start Long Before You Ask
episode
Career Growth for Working Women | Career Advancement, Visibility, Promotion, Raises
14 min
1 speaker
8 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Why do promotion conversations actually start before you ask for a raise?
Can I tell you something that might completely change the way you think about promotions? Most women believe the promotion conversation starts when they ask for it. It doesn't. By the time you sit down for that conversation, your manager has already been experiencing your leadership for months. The question isn't will I be ready when the opportunity comes? The question is what story has my leadership already been telling? Today we're pulling back the curtain on how promotion decisions really happen. Ready? Let's go.
Welcome to Career Growth for Working Women. This show is for women who are done waiting to be noticed and ready to be compensated for the value they already bring. I'm Shannon, a promotion and compensation coach, and I help women position themselves for real advancement, not by working harder, by showing their value more strategically using what I call the 5% method. If you're ready for clarity, confidence, and career growth that actually actually pays off you're in the right place. Let's dive in. Hello, welcome back to the show. I've been thinking about something since last week's episode. We talked about how your manager isn't a mind reader, and I hope one idea stayed with you. Your manager can only advocate for the leadership impact they clearly understand.
That naturally leads to another question. When does that advocacy actually begin? Most people would answer When promotion season starts? Or when I decide to ask for a promotion. Or maybe when my annual review comes around. And those are reasonable answers. They're also why so many high performing women end up feeling disappointed. Because here's what I've learned. Promotion conversations rarely begin the day someone asks for a promotion. They're usually but they've usually been happening long before anyone ever says the word promotion.
How do managers begin forming opinions about your leadership readiness?
Now, I don't necessarily mean there's a formal meeting where leaders are discussing your future every week. That's probably not happening. What I mean is this. Every interaction your manager has with you is Is quietly answering a question. How do I experience this person's leadership? Not just Can she do the work? Can she solve the problems? Can she meet the deadlines? Those things matter. But eventually the questions become bigger. Can I trust her with more responsibility? Does she think beyond the task in front of her? How does she respond when things don't go according to plan? What happens when she disagrees with someone? Do people naturally look to her? Would she represent this team well at the next level?
Those aren't questions your manager suddenly starts asking you in November because prep performance reviews are around the corner. They're questions that get answered little by little. Conversation by conversation. Project by project. Meeting by meeting. That might sound intimidating, but I actually think it's one of the most encouraging things you'll ever learn about your career. Because it means your future isn't writing on one perfect performance review. Or one flawless presentation. Or one conversation where you finally find the courage to advocate for yourself. Your future is being shaped by consistency. And consistency is something you can influence every single week.
What specific questions do managers ask themselves when evaluating promotion potential?
I remember a coaching a woman who came to me because she'd been passed over for a promotion. She was frustrated. She was hurt. And honestly. She was confused but She looked at me and said. I don't understand what happened. I worked so hard this year. I thought I was ready. So I asked her a question. When was the first time you talked with your manager about wanting to grow into the next level? She thought for a minute. She said During my performance review. I nodded. Then asked. When do you think your manager started forming an opinion about whether you were ready? She sat quietly for a few seconds, and then she smiled. Not because she loved the answer, but because she suddenly understood it. The conversation didn't start at her performance review.
That was simply the first time she joined a conversation that had already been developing.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why do promotion conversations actually start before you ask for a raise?
0:00–2:25
2
How do managers begin forming opinions about your leadership readiness?
2:25–4:15
3
What specific questions do managers ask themselves when evaluating promotion potential?
4:15–5:59
4
Why is a single performance review insufficient for promotion decisions?
5:59–7:30
5
How can everyday interactions become evidence of leadership for promotion?
7:30–9:41
6
What’s the difference between persuading leadership and positioning your value?
9:41–11:33
7
How does consistent, small‑scale leadership build trust and lead to promotion?
11:33–13:09
8
What simple weekly exercise can help you intentionally showcase your leadership?
13:09–14:46
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Career Growth for Working Women | Career Advancement, Visibility, Promotion, Raises
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142 | Why Meetings Matter More Than You Think