Why Didn&#39;t I Get Promoted?

About a year ago I wrote about (what I’ll call) one leg of the Bermuda Triangle of Managing People, the so-called “Game 3 employee.”

I’ve often thought that one of the toughest things in business is to manage the "Game 3 Employee." That’s the person capable of delivering superior work--and who does so for stretches at a time--but habitually falls off (for whatever reason) to perform at an unacceptable level.

As an addendum to that article, I’ve noticed over time that good managers invest a great deal of time in these “Game 3” people, coaching, setting expectations and working to improve poor performance. I’ve also noticed that great managers do not, at least after the first failed attempt.

The second leg in the Bermuda Triangle of Managing People (and I freely admit it might be the Bermuda Octagon by the time we’re done) is getting to the end of a good performance review, especially one where all goals have been met or exceeded, but realizing that there are important intangibles holding the person back from a promotion that you have not been able to clearly articulate.

In the June 2009 issue of the Harvard Business Review, John Beeson goes a long way toward defining the essential intangibles that propel an executive ahead in his or her career in his article, “Why You Didn’t Get That Promotion.” (I thought Beeson's information was worth keeping for futures, so I did a quick mind map which I am happy to share (via interactive pdf or Mindjet reader) if you drop me a note at ericbschultz@gmail.com.) Beeson writes:

In most organizations, promotions are governed by unwritten rules—the often fuzzy, intuitive, and poorly expressed feelings of senior executives regarding individuals’ ability to succeed. . .Many of the unwritten rules are especially hard to nail down because they don’t pertain to technical ability, industry experience, or business knowledge.

These rules, Beeson says, fall into three categories. For short-hand, I have defined them as Nonnegotiables (like ethics), Career-Busters (like the kiss of death: “he’s not a people person”), and Capabilities to Cultivate, which is a short but rich list of articulated skills that may bail you out of the Bermuda Triangle one day.

Beeson ends with some advice on how to ask, and how to listen for feedback. He suggests, should you be on the receiving end of such a review, watch closely for vague terms, like you “need more seasoning.” Then probe and push to get at the underlying issue.

No matter which chair you sit in--giving or receiving--clarifying these kinds of unwritten rules is hard work but fair, kind and worth the effort.

(Please click on mind map for a better view.)