Introduction
Welcome back to the weekly newsletter.
Let’s continue exploring Career Framework. This time we’ll focus on visibility and promotion. Remember, smart work is not enough. If no one sees it, it’s as if it doesn’t count. That’s why visibility is a skill, not luck. This week, we use the Promotion Ladder to make your impact clear, loud, and easy to reward. You’ll build a simple rhythm to show progress, earn trust, and position yourself for the next step.
Weekly highlight: The Promotion Ladder Behind Self-Advocacy
You can do great work and still be invisible. Promotion isn’t only about output; it’s about how clearly your value is seen. That’s what the Promotion Ladder solves. It has three rungs: Perception → Networking → Personal Brand and each rung lifts the next. When you climb them in order, you turn private wins into public proof, quiet effort into trusted influence, and trusted influence into a reputation that travels ahead of you.
Perception: make impact visible.
Goal: your manager and key partners can see the value you create and the direction you’re heading.
How: run a Weekly Visibility Rhythm:
- Achievements Tracker: one simple list of key achievements with value they generated.
- Manager Update: 3 bullets: what worked, what’s next, where I need support.
- Stakeholder Loop: short notes to the people you affect: “Here’s the result, here’s the next step.”
Style: be clear, brief, humble. (Fact → effect → next step.) This is “managing your manager” without noise: you reduce surprises, surface risks early, and ask for targeted help. Humility matters: credit the team, own your piece, and let the numbers speak.
Networking: build allies who multiply you.
Goal: you’re not winning alone; you’re winning with people.
How: map your Stakeholder Circles (the Circles Model):
- Inner: manager, team, key cross-functions.
- Next: adjacent leaders you depend on or support.
- Outer: senior sponsors and future collaborators.
Give first (useful context, quick help, clean handoffs). Keep a light touchpoint rhythm (short updates, thanks, shared artifacts). Allies reduce friction, open doors, and echo your results in rooms you’re not in.
Personal Brand: be known for one thing.
Goal: when your name comes up, people finish the sentence: “That’s the person who ___.”
How: craft a 1-line UVP (your core expertise tied to business outcomes). Choose your core expertise: an area you want to be known for and focus your learning around that. Over time start mentoring and adding value to people which can benefit from it.
Put it together (fast)
- 30-second self-advocacy script (Frame–Fact–Future):
“Frame: Goal was X. Fact: We delivered Y (from A → B in 6 weeks). Future: Next we’ll do Z; I need a 30-min sync with operations to unblock.”
Use this in manager 1:1s, steering meetings, and short updates. - Proof beats adjectives: “Reduced cycle time from 12 to 7 days” > “I’m proactive.” Keep a rolling Achievement Log with numbers, scope, partners, and links.
- Perception with humility: credit others by name; own the risk list; ask for feedback. This raises trust and keeps your signal strong, not loud.
Common traps (and fixes)
- Invisible excellence: you deliver but don’t show. Fix: adopt the Weekly Visibility Rhythm; non-negotiable.
- Outdated story: old wins, no recent data. Fix: refresh your achievements tracker regularly.
- Messy messaging: you claim multiple things. Fix: pick one core lane; let the rest be supporting skills.
- Self-promo cringe: you talk about yourself, not outcomes. Fix: talk impact, team, next step; only then your role.
- Over-soloing: no collaboration, working in silo. Fix: expand Inner → Next circle with give-first approach.
Managing your manager (with respect)
- No surprises: a brief Friday note beats a Monday fire.
- Choices, not noise: present two options with trade-offs; ask for a call if needed.
- Arms-length brag: “Here’s what the team delivered; here’s where I led; here’s the metric that moved.”
- Calm humility: invite critique, log it, show the adjustment next week.
Why this works
Perception earns trust. Trust opens networks. Networks amplify your brand. And brand pulls bigger problems toward you. That’s promotion. Climb the ladder in order, keep the rhythm weekly, and let the numbers carry your name further than volume ever could.
Application
- Start the achievements tracker: Problem → action → result.
- Weekly manager summary: 3 bullets you can share in the next chat.
- Map your stakeholders: list 5–7 names, what each values and what you can offer.
- Reflect on your personal brand: write your one-line value statement.
Summary
Promotions follow visibility. The Promotion Ladder makes it repeatable: fix perception, grow allies, define your lane. Keep the rhythm light and steady. Show your work. Earn trust. Become the obvious choice for bigger problems and the next role.
Till next time,
Maciej
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