How to Be Promotable: Two Quick Tips from a Talent Development Expert
By Jo Miller
“Develop and empower others.
If you cannot be replaced, you cannot be promoted.”
— @RobertFSolomon
Robert Solomon is Director of Talent Development with the Network of Executive Women (NEW), where he designs and implements initiatives to support the development of women leaders for NEW’s partners—companies in the retail, consumer goods and services industry.
“Women are still stuck in the ‘frozen middle’ within our industry,” says Solomon, whose latest initiative started with research into how women get to the top of their organizations. From that research, NEW’s Career Accelerator model was created, consisting of a set of career competencies that form the building blocks for women’s career advancement into executive leadership positions. “The competency model was developed with upward career mobility in mind,” explains Solomon.
So when it comes to accelerating your upward mobility, what does a talent development expert have to offer? Here are two of Solomon’s top tips on how to become more promotable.
1.) Make yourself replaceable
One of NEW’s Career Accelerator competencies is developing and empowering others. According to Solomon, this is a critical career advancement skill because, “If you cannot be replaced you cannot be promoted. Your job can be expanded and you can take on additional responsibilities within your current pay band, but if you take up ‘permanent residence’ in a position you’ll miss a lot of career growth opportunities.”
So don’t aim to make yourself indispensable in your current role, or you might get stuck there. Solomon recommends taking the time to delegate work and encourage other individuals to take initiative.
2.) Do the stuff your manager hates
Another of Solomon’s favorite career-accelerating tips is to “Find out what job responsibilities your manager absolutely hates, but that are a critical part of his or her job. Develop proficiency in those things.” Why bother? Simple: by making your manager’s job easier, you’ll be learning new leadership skills, showing you have capabilities that go outside current job description, and that you’re promotable.
The Takeaway
So there you have it, two simple tips to help you outgrow your current role, by lifting up others as you climb.
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.
By Jo Miller
“Develop and empower others.
If you cannot be replaced, you cannot be promoted.”
— @RobertFSolomon
Robert Solomon is Director of Talent Development with the Network of Executive Women (NEW), where he designs and implements initiatives to support the development of women leaders for NEW’s partners—companies in the retail, consumer goods and services industry.
“Women are still stuck in the ‘frozen middle’ within our industry,” says Solomon, whose latest initiative started with research into how women get to the top of their organizations. From that research, NEW’s Career Accelerator model was created, consisting of a set of career competencies that form the building blocks for women’s career advancement into executive leadership positions. “The competency model was developed with upward career mobility in mind,” explains Solomon.
So when it comes to accelerating your upward mobility, what does a talent development expert have to offer? Here are two of Solomon’s top tips on how to become more promotable.
1.) Make yourself replaceable
One of NEW’s Career Accelerator competencies is developing and empowering others. According to Solomon, this is a critical career advancement skill because, “If you cannot be replaced you cannot be promoted. Your job can be expanded and you can take on additional responsibilities within your current pay band, but if you take up ‘permanent residence’ in a position you’ll miss a lot of career growth opportunities.”
So don’t aim to make yourself indispensable in your current role, or you might get stuck there. Solomon recommends taking the time to delegate work and encourage other individuals to take initiative.
2.) Do the stuff your manager hates
Another of Solomon’s favorite career-accelerating tips is to “Find out what job responsibilities your manager absolutely hates, but that are a critical part of his or her job. Develop proficiency in those things.” Why bother? Simple: by making your manager’s job easier, you’ll be learning new leadership skills, showing you have capabilities that go outside current job description, and that you’re promotable.
The Takeaway
So there you have it, two simple tips to help you outgrow your current role, by lifting up others as you climb.
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.
