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Pro
Take some time to reflect before speaking out. Your sentiments may come across the wrong way, especially as we are working remotely. Have other promotions been affected this cycle? If so, it's worth chalking it up to bad luck due to Covid slowdown.
Pro
Actually saw a record number of promotions, including a number of the people I started with. I honestly would not have been particularly upset about it had this not been the case... looks like it really it about me and my performance 😕
Just be honest about your disappointment - get those feelings out and then ask where you need to spend your energy to stay positive and where you might need to improve to put yourself ahead of the pack.
Is there no business need? At my firm, if there’s no open slots at manager level (for example), you can’t promote people to manager. It’s a tough conversation but worth the conversation.
Were you officially “up” for promotion and didn’t get it? Would you have been an early promote, on time, or a year or two behind? How is your firm performing with Covid - are they simultaneously laying people off, delaying start dates, removing or decreasing raises or bonuses?
Depending on the answers to the above will help contextualize. If you would have been an early promote or your firm is suffering firm wide, you will want to approach with a little more understanding for current climate. You’re allowed to still be disappointed but there is some perspective you should have here.
Otherwise, consider approaching the convo as positively as possible.”I’m dedicated to the firm and want to continue to progress...here’s what I’ve done...here’s my thoughts on what I should be doing for the next 12 months...what are your suggestions?” Figure out if there’s something you did wrong or just not enough things done “right”. The former needs to be addressed and corrected, the latter just takes time and sometimes a little luck to get on the right projects with the right opportunities to shine.
Pro
We don’t really have timelines for promotion so it’s hard to tell whether it would be early/late/etc. Only good benchmark I have is the other people I started with. Lots of promotions, no layoffs, accelerating start dates for new hires, no change to bonuses.
I like the positive approach and that’s what I’ve taken in the past. I think I’m just having a hard time being positive right now because I’ve really been putting in the hours and trying to work on myself (and probably also because the rest of everything going on ahah). I think you’re probably right about opportunities to shine — I’ve been working hard to go above and beyond in every role I fill, but I’ve been slotted into the same role a lot recently due to demand for a skill set management knows I excel at.
Its becoming more and more as who you know vs what you know/what you can do. I feel you OP.
Having been in the same situation awhile back, I’d say this. Take some time to be disappointed and angry - do what helps you blow off steam, whether it’s video games, working out a lot, shooting guns, driving, painting...whatever helps center you. Missing a promotion sucks. No point in sugar coating that, but try to have some fun.
Then think about the questions you need answered. The chief one among those is what aren’t you doing now that would indicate readiness for the next level. Promotions are more about future potential than past performance. Ask your mentors/leaders what you need to be doing differently to act in that capacity. It’s often not a pleasant conversation, but it’s an important one. Then talk to them about a plan to demonstrate that aptitude over the next year. Another thing to think about is competencies where your group needs to upskill to meet market demand - if you’re helping drive a growth area, that’s a much easier conversation on the next promotion cycle.
Finally, ask how much of this is due to 2020 and Covid. It’s entirely possible you’ve done everything right and there just aren’t enough slots due to the market. Demand is down for consulting services because we’re a discretionary spend. That should tick back up, but consulting firms are likely to be more cautious than usual about whom they promote.
Following as well
Ask what happened? What perceived gaps do you have that you should work on? Or maybe it was because 2020? Get the facts.
Politics - Welcome to the corporate world. Sometimes, the work isn’t even half the equation when it comes to promos. You got to work the system, find the influencers, and kiss that 💍
Pro
Is your mentor someone who is 1) directly involved with you promotion process or is this person 2) someone who is on a different engagement or organization?
If 1 - I would approach the convo saying that you’ve only received positive feedback, felt that the promotion did not come as you had expected, and that you would like constructive feedback on how you can make sure that you will get the promotion you need next time.
If 2 - i would just tell that person like you would a friend (while trying to avoid badmouthing anyone) since that person is not directly involved with the project.
I am assuming there isn’t any negotiation on promotion going to happen so it is what it is for now.
To have the conversation with your mentor, try to ask specifics around: What were the specific reason for not being promoted and how can you get to the expectation level for promotion? Try to prompt a little to get specifics and not “just keep doing what you are doing”. Then also talk about what would make the promotion obvious and not even debatable when the next cycle comes up. Lay down the plan to get there with milestone checkins on a set cadence to talk about the progress.
Just to share, I have seen this come up quite often, the issue usually is that when people give you good reviews, they are usually thinking from the lens of “what’s not good” and is this person in that territory. This resulting in a very vast majority hearing the phrase “you are doing great” “great work”. Not knowing your scenario, I cannot say where you are on the overall spectrum. This might also be a good thing to checkin with your mentor.
Chief
Same thing happened to me. I put the ball in their court and asked my CC for the reasoning behind not promoting me so I can work towards improvement. Had a counter for all his reasons. Basically laid it out on an email and showed how what I was doing already aligned with the next level duties. Then I had a very candid conversation where I told him that if what I was already doing (100% chargeability, presenting during orals, stepping in for team members that suddenly quit, being requested by clients for expanded role etc.) that maybe consulting at Accenture wasn’t for me. Got promoted.
Beside what was said: apply for other jobs. Nothing boosts your confidence better than an offer where you have the feeling your value is appreciated.
Doesn‘t mean you have to take it but puts you in a much better position.
Pro
I think you’re right about feeling appreciated — a lot of this is coinciding with working with a manager who has very little respect for his team’s time and little appreciation for our work and dedication. Unfortunately can’t dedicate time to applying for jobs (or afford to quit) since I’m applying to grad school for next year and don’t have enough hours in the day to do it all 😅
Tale as old as time 🎶🎶