How many pieces are there in a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle?

Duh, 1000, of course, was my first response to that question. But I was wrong. Most 1000-piece puzzles contain 1008 or 1026 pieces to make the correct shape.

A promotion process is similar; there are always more pieces than meets the eye. In this article, let’s uncover one significant factor necessary to solve the promotion puzzle.

My First Management Promotion

In my first management role, I was hired into a newly formed team to do significant change and transformation consulting and delivery across a 1000-member-strong offshore business unit based in India. The role was exciting, the work was interesting, and I was relieved to have gotten a job in an uncertain economic climate as we came out of the Financial Crisis.

Everything was great, except for my manager

It was a matrix organisation, and I had two managers. One was my manager, who was based out of India and was responsible for me administratively. Another was my functional manager, who was responsible for the work, deliverables, goals and objectives.

It became apparent in the first few months that I would have problems with the line manager. He was also influential in the department and held the final say in who would make it into the promotion list.

I had no intention of silently putting up with misogynistic and sexist comments, and every time I spoke up for myself, it created a bigger rift between us, and the relationship soured with each passing day. It became clear that no matter how hard I worked and what results I delivered, I would stand no chance of being promoted to the next role.

So, how do I still get promoted?

The first thing was to understand what it would take to get promoted. I spoke to my functional manager, who gave me feedback on what worked well and where I exceeded her expectations. She also gave me specific feedback on the areas I would need to demonstrate improvement for her to put my case forward for promotion.

I discussed my concerns with her about my relationship with my line manager and the potential impact on my promotion. She said she needed to figure out how we work with it, but she would ask him for his expectations for the next level to which I wanted to get promoted.

The Power of Advocacy

We kept this conversation alive in our 1:1 meetings.

While we did that, I approached other senior leaders I was working with and took their feedback and advice on getting promoted. Initially, I was hesitant about having an open conversation about promotion – after all, the stereotype of an “ambitious woman” was running in my head constantly.

Related read: Understand What is Coaching

I continued looking for every opportunity to add value to the people I was working with, even if it was way out of my remit.

And when the time came for my promotion, it got stalled by my line manager for six months. I took the opportunity to ask my advocates if they would be comfortable vouching for me. I was able to get written and verbal feedback, and eventually, we were able to tip the scales in my favour. I was one of the few young managers who got promoted.

This happened not once but twice with my promotions.

Do you have the Advocacy Piece in Your Puzzle?

You have exceeded the expectations of your current role. You consistently deliver outcomes and results equivalent to the next role. But your promotion timeline is dark, and you are still stuck in the same spot. It is time to examine whether you have senior leaders who actively advocate for you and your work.

The more senior the promotion in the career ladder, the more relevant and essential it is to have advocates. Advocates for your work are typically senior folks who would fit one or more of the criteria listed below.

1. People who have directly worked with you would vouch for your work, behaviour, capabilities and results.

2. Senior managers or leaders with direct or indirect influence/role in the promotion process.

3. Folks who are seniors or peers to your managers within the same department

Sponsorship Versus Advocacy

There is some well-documented recent research on why sponsorship is essential for career progression, especially if you are in an underrepresented category at the workplace. The study also highlights how sponsorship relationships could come naturally to men, whereas that may not be the case for women.

A sponsor is a senior or an influential sponsor who actively and directly supports your career advancement. A sponsor uses their authority and influence to open doors for you actively, translating into significant projects, faster promotions and important roles.

An advocate is someone who supports or speaks favourably about you. This support may or may not translate into direct actions to advance your career. But advocates will champion your skills and capabilities and vouch for you wherever they can.

While it is fantastic to have a sponsor rooting for your promotion, it takes a while in one’s career to discover, find and build a relationship with someone senior, which can translate into an active sponsorship.

I didn’t find a sponsor during my 18-year career in the corporate world, spanning 15 managers and five countries. However, I did find many senior colleagues I enjoyed working with who turned out to be my most prominent advocates, without which I could not have advanced in the narrow career ladder and broken through the glass ceiling.

Hence, if you want to get promoted to your next role and are hitting a wall, it is time to look at your senior leaders and managers and find out if you have active advocates. If not, then you can start your search for advocates right now.

Getting promoted is NOT a linear journey

A career ladder is not a straight ladder with equal gaps between rungs. It is more like a spiral staircase, with each step unevenly spaced. You cannot aim to move up the ladder just by your talents, capabilities and results. You do need the support of more than just your manager to climb up.

Do you have that?