Promotion Pathways Analysis

Not every promotion is progress. I watched two careers unfold—and it changed how I thought about growth. Employee A got the title bump. Private office. Out of the open space at last. Employee B made a lateral move to a department they were excited about. Same level. Different playground. One year later? A was burned out, underperforming, and quietly job-hunting. B was thriving—innovating, mentoring, and getting tapped for future roles. The problem isn’t ambition. It’s how narrowly we define “moving up.” 📊 According to LinkedIn, employees who make lateral moves are 62% more likely to stay long-term. 📉 Internal mobility also cuts turnover costs by up to 35% (Gartner). Yet most orgs still treat vertical promotions like the only "real" advancement. 🔄 A smarter blueprint: Career growth paths that actually work ⬇️ 1️⃣ Expert Path → Mastery without management 2️⃣ Expansion Path → Cross-functional agility 3️⃣ Exploration Path → Short-term stretch assignments 4️⃣ Enterprise Path → Traditional leadership roles When we stop glamorizing titles and start celebrating fit, curiosity, and contribution—retention goes up. Engagement goes up. Careers take off. Because real growth isn’t a ladder. It’s a landscape. P.S. What would change in your org if lateral moves got standing ovations too? ♻️ Repost if you believe careers can grow in more than one direction.

When I worked in Higher Education Professional Services, I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between the way progression was handled for different groups. In most cases, Academics had a clear promotions pathway. That didn’t happen for the Professional Services though. It’s easy to look across and feel envious of that clarity. But the truth is, for many academics, especially those in the early stages of their careers, the pathway is far from secure. Their jobs are often short-term, grant dependent, and shaped by uncertainty about what comes next. They have to take more control of their next steps and I think it's a mindset that serves them well in the long run. What I do think Higher Education institutions tend to do better for academic colleagues, however, is making it clearer how to prepare for promotion, and ensuring there are opportunities for senior academics to be promoted internally... (although if you've ever looked at the actual paperwork to apply for academic promotion, I'd say it's pretty un-intuitive and not inclusive for neurodiverse folks at all - but that's a rant for another day). For Professional Services staff, the story is very different. If you want to move from Grade 6 to 7, or from Grade 8 to 9, you are usually left to figure it out on your own. The skills, behaviours, and mindset shifts that panels are really looking for aren’t written down clearly and the panel might not even agree what they're looking for. That’s what I call the Hidden Curriculum of Progression. It’s the unspoken expectations, the subtle shifts in authority and presence, and the ways of working that show you’re ready for the next grade. And it’s exactly why I created the Professional Services Progression Pathway — a 12-week programme designed to level the playing field. By the end of the programme, you’ll: 1. Understand the implicit expectations at your next grade 2. Identify your development gaps and build a targeted plan 3. Gather and frame examples that land with panels 4. Develop the conviction to speak about your value without shrinking Applications for the Founding Cohort are now open and the first few places have been taken so there are 8 places left. Let me know if you want the details or follow the Visit my website button to find out more. If you’re aiming for promotion in the next 6–12 months, this is your chance to stop waiting and start preparing. Own your next steps. It is your career after all. #highereducation #professionalservices #hiddencurriculum

🔑 Tiering the SDR role is key to attracting & retaining top junior sales talent As we know, the #1 priority for new SDR job searchers is to get promoted but the average AE progression pathway can take 12-24 months It will be a difficult sell to hire & retain an ambitious fresh SDR upon learning that you’ll have to do the same thing every day for 1-2 years But what else are companies supposed to do if that’s how long it takes... Introducing SDR tiering ⭐️ The idea is simple, introduce levels or “mini promotions” to the SDR role that can increase the scope & complexity of the position. This has a twofold benefit: (1) The rep feels like they are progressing and moving up levels (2) They are building the necessary skills to prepare them to be an AE There are numerous ways to split this up (can be a combination of multiple): (1) By customer segment - SMB, then MM, then ENT (2) By responsibilities - inbound, outbound, discos, technical scoping (3) Quota & target - 18, 21, 24, 27 meetings held per month This tiered structure not only simplifies the promotion pathway but also facilitates focused development efforts aimed at elevating representatives to the Account Executive level.

How I turned unclear expectations into a fast promotion path as a Game Producer. Feel free to steal them: 5 Things to light the path and make it easy for your manager to negotiate for you. 1. Established clear goals with my manager every 90 days. 2. Got signoff on: "If I deliver these X things, it means I hit those goals." 3. Got clear commitments for support from my manager upfront. 4. Got a clear picture of how I'd be rewarded if I nailed my goals. Handshake. 5. Solve at least 1 problem every 90 days that is "above my paygrade". You're looking for these 4 outcomes. -Accountability for you AND your boss when it comes time for promotion & raises. -Those around you perceive that you can perform well in your role AND the role above you. -The people you need support from are incorporating that in their plan. -Your work clearly maps into the company's needs. If this doesn't work out, you'll probably be clear on why. Or know that you need to hold your leaders accountable. If you get to those outcomes, you're a shoe-in!

I’ve been speaking with product managers from all walks of industries, and this keeps coming up, over and over again. 💡 “I am looking for opportunities to grow my career" Career growth in product isn’t a straight line. Product management career pathways often feel unclear or perhaps non-existent. As a product leader, have you designed career pathways for your team? Can your product people see where they can go next and what they need to develop to get there? How Leaders Can Design Career Pathways for Product Teams 1️⃣ Define career levels & roles – Outline the growth stages in your org (e.g., Associate PM → Senior PM / Principal PM → Head of Product). 2️⃣ Identify core capabilities at each level – What skills separate a great PM from the next-level PM? Think commercial acumen, strategic foresight influential leadership. 3️⃣ Assess where individuals stand today – Without a clear starting point, a career pathway is just a map with no GPS. 4️⃣ Provide targeted development opportunities – Stretch assignments, coaching, training, and peer learning all help PMs grow in the right direction. 5️⃣ Make it visible & actionable – Growth shouldn’t be a mystery. Document career paths, discuss them in career conversations, and tie them to performance and promotions. This is where capability assessment comes in. A great career pathway + a clear understanding of strengths and gaps = a real plan for growth. ✔️ Define the skills needed at each stage ✔️ Assess where individuals stand today ✔️ Guide their learning toward meaningful career progression If you’re building product teams, career development can't just be a perk—it’s a part of your strategy. https://lnkd.in/gdhWuGAp #productmanagement #careers