One of the key milestones of career success is attaining a promotion and raise. In order to get a promotion, many believe that they can get one simply by doing their job well and exceeding expectations. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
According to Harvey Coleman, in his book, Empowering Yourself, The Organizational Game Revealed, Coleman states that career success is based on three key elements: Performance, Image, and Exposure – all of which make up PIE.
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- Performance: This includes your day-to-day work. It’s what you’re tasked with, the results that you deliver, and the feedback you receive.
- Image: This is your brand. It’s about what others think of you and how you show up. It’s about what you’re known for and what people say about you when you’re not in the room.
- Exposure: This is about who knows about you and what you do. It’s the visibility you have inside and outside your organization.
What percentages would you give each element in PIE in terms of their importance? According to Coleman’s study of PIE, they are 60% Exposure, 30% Image, and 10% Performance.
Mind blown? Most people are. As we think about promotions, there is a large degree of truth in Coleman’s PIE model. If your manager is looking to put you up for promotion, the obvious question is if you are performing and exceeding expectations. Then, they’re likely going to take into account what they know about you i.e. what they’ve seen firsthand and what they’ve heard about you from others. If they don’t have a lot to go on, that promotion may go to someone else where they do have that insight. Last, it comes down to your image, your brand. You want to be seen especially as capable, consistent and someone who is positively impacting the business. Good managers can help you get exposure, but you can’t expect them to do it all for you, nor can they solidify your image. Here lies your reminder that there needs to be an element of your own personal accountability when you want a promotion or raise.
Now that you know that, let’s look at all of the ways you can bring this puzzle of PIE together and get you promoted! I’ve already written a wide array of posts that are categorized by PIE, which I’ve compiled below. This way, you can choose what parts of the guide you need help with and read what’s most important to you. Let’s get to it!
Performance
Performance is an obvious marker to achieving a promotion. The below posts outline the steps to take to manage, measure, and evaluate your job performance and overall career advancement.
How to Take Intentional Steps Toward Your Promotion
If you know you’re ready to get to the next level in your career, this post is a great place to start. I share six tips that will give you ideas of how you can put your best foot forward and exceed expectations.
How to Own Your Career Growth
No one is going to look out for you and your career more than you will. That’s a fact and it’s why it’s important you take matters into your own hands when it comes to promotions. Make sure that you have a Career Development Plan that you update and discuss with your manager (I recommend quarterly). You can download a free template here if you don’t already have one!
Also, you will want to go into those conversations with your manager with concrete results that showcase the value you are bringing to your team and your company. This is especially crucial if your manager isn’t fully or consistently aware of the work you are doing. In this post, I mention how keeping a record of accomplishments and positive feedback you receive at work is a key piece to cultivating and advancing your career. Download a free accomplishments tracker here, which you can use in your career development conversations.
Image
These next set of posts align to your image, better known as your personal brand. Read on for how you can share more of who you are and uplevel what people know about you in the workplace.
How to Build & Boost Your Personal Brand at Work
Know that personal branding is important but not sure where to start? Head to this post, where I share how you can take control of your brand and make yourself known amongst the people you work with. You can also use this free worksheet as a guide to help you discover, build, and uplift your personal brand.
How to Make a Powerful Impression in the Workplace
Truth: people who are likable are more likely to get promoted. Knowing that, there are key qualities and characteristics you can capitalize on to ensure you’re boosting your likability factor and making a memorable impression in the workplace. Find out more in this post.
And, if you’re a remote employee, there are ways you can show up and impress at your company even when you are virtual. All of the tips can be found here.
How to Build Influence at Your Company
No matter what your title or years of experience, you can build influence and make your mark in your career. Cultivating your influence is part of building your personal brand that ultimately helps others get to know you and the value you provide. Read the tips of how to do this here.
Exposure
The following last set of posts focuses on helping you gain visibility at work. Learn how to showcase the value you bring to your job, your team, and your company so that when you ask for your promotion, it’s a no-brainer for your manager to say yes.
How to Master Self-Promotion
There will be no promotion without some self-promotion. Self-promotion is the key component of your career growth and progression. In today’s corporate world, going to work, doing your job and hoping you get the recognition you deserve isn’t going to cut it. If you want to advance in your career, get promoted and nab raises, you need to speak up and share your wins. Find out how to do this here.
How to Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader
There are huge benefits to being considered a thought leader, whether it’s at your company, in your community, or online. It can help you to brand yourself, give you visibility, and give you an edge especially when it comes to landing a promotion. Find out ways you can get started here.
How to Effectively Pitch Yourself
You know the value you bring with your experience and expertise. Once you’ve been able to garner exposure for all of your great work and elevate your personal brand in the process, it will be time to make the case for your promotion to your manager. It’s time to sell yourself. Here are the ways you can prepare your perfect pitch. Go get ‘em slugger!
Kelly Nash is a Chicago-based writer, career coach, speaker and founder of Lipstick & Ink®. She also works full-time in technology as a Role Strategy and Employee Engagement Manager at Salesforce and has over 12 years of digital marketing experience. Kelly has been featured in Thrive Global, Chicago Tribune, International Association of Women, General Assembly, Salesforce, and SheFactor. She’s fueled by black coffee, sunshine, a good ink pen, and a bold lip.
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