The people in your organization who are easiest to promote, and most likely to given new opportunities are the individuals who are known by more senior leaders. This is simply a fact about how human organizations work.
If people in your team aren’t on the radar of more senior leaders, including your bosses boss, then:
- You’ll have a more difficult time getting them promoted. The decision-makers might say “I’ve never heard of Bob. Why should we believe he’s ready for the next level of responsibility?”
- You’ll have to work much harder to give them a strong rating in a fixed-distribution performance rating process. “We only have X slots for the highest rating, and how could Jill deserve one if I’ve never heard about her work?”
- You’re going to struggle to defend their contribution in a “steel cage death match” meeting to decide which positions to eliminate. “Since we haven’t heard about this person’s work, it much not be critical to the organization compared to others.”
- Your team members less likely to be appointed to new roles. “We decide to ask Jose to stretch into that role, since we know he’s successfully taken on tough challenges before.”
You have a leadership responsibility to help other leaders know about your team members. Here are four practical suggestions:
- Invite your team members to give short presentations to your boss, or the whole leadership team. Give them strong coaching so they can shine.
- Forward email messages to senior leaders (not just your boss) about project work and accomplishments, even situations where someone is effectively working on a difficult problem. Add some commentary notes so they have context. Point out where this demonstrates greater potential for contribution in new roles in the future. (Bonus level: Ask your team member to write an email message that’s designed to be easy to forward.)
- Mention individuals by name. Don’t only say, “My team….” Give credit to the individual(s). Repeat their names.
- Go all out in project reviews, talent reviews, and succession planning to document the capabilities and accomplishments of your team members. Outline how they’re improving. Give concrete examples of “soft skills” as well as specific deliverables.
These are important leadership habits and practices. Savvy senior leaders will notice what you’re doing and give YOU better opportunities in the future, too.
