Julia Rowan answers your management, leadership and team development questions
I am highly qualified with both general and specialist accountancy qualifications. I work hard to high standards and meet my deadlines. I get on well with colleagues and other stakeholders. Over the past 18 months, I’ve applied for promotion twice, but I have not been successful. Candidates I consider less qualified and experienced than me have instead secured both roles. What can I do to increase my chances of success?
You feel you are being overlooked and there are several reasons why this might be happening.
One thing is for sure, however: if you want people to see you in a different light, you need to do something different.
My guess is that people expect high performance from you, so when you deliver, you may be “simply” meeting expectations.
You sound like quite a task-focused person—nothing wrong with that. Any thoughts below are intended to complement, not replace, your task focus.
Your question reminds me of an executive I worked with: he shared the same high standards yet also found himself overlooked.
He always downplayed his achievements. For example, at progress meetings, he would simply say “done” in the catch-up as a way to express that he had completed a task.
In today’s busy (and often hybrid) workplace, we need to be a little more intentional about how we communicate. “Done” does not cut it.
Marketing people talk about “selling the sizzle, not the sausage” and this may be something you need to focus on.
It goes without saying that long stories are not needed, but something like “I sent that out on X date. Three people replied, I’ve followed up with two more and I discovered that…” gives people a little more insight into you.
Task-focused people can come across as impatient, which can be daunting. Moving up in an organisation involves winning hearts as well as minds. Here are a few thoughts about what you can do:
- Focus on building relationships. This could simply mean taking a bit more time for daily interactions, or it could involve strategically building relationships to increase your visibility. Find reasons to meet with colleagues in person. Share interesting materials when you can.
- Work on your interview skills. In particular, you may need to build up your achievements (Google ‘competency STARS’), not just in interviews but also during performance reviews. If you haven’t already done so, get feedback on recent interviews.
- Ask your manager or others knowledgeable about your field to support you in expanding your skill set. For example, ask them to organise a mentor for you, bring you to higher-level meetings or place you on a project team. You can also attend to this yourself through reading, attending courses, etc.
- Reflect on how you talk about yourself. There seems to be a perception that, despite your high standards, you are not ready for promotion. Perceptions can take a while to change. Honest feedback from people who have your back may be the most useful input of all.
Julia Rowan is Principal Consultant with Performance Matters Ltd, a leadership and team development consultancy. To send a question to Julia, email julia@performancematters.ie
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