"Throughout my career, leading large teams at companies like Verizon and Yahoo, and now providing career coaching to ambitious leaders, I've seen the same pattern repeat itself: The people who advance don't wait all year for certainty, perfect conditions, or formal feedback cycles. They use the beginning of the year to strategically position themselves. This doesn't mean demanding a promotion immediately, or raising your expectations at the wrong time."
"Speaking that way too often can make you seem myopic or even selfish. High performers start by understanding the company's goals and establishing how they'll support them. Pay attention to leadership messaging, annual priorities, earnings calls, kickoff meetings, and how success is being defined at the top and by your own manager. Promotions rarely come from doing your job well in a silo."
Promotions are often decided well before year-end impressions form. Ambitious professionals should use the start of the year to align their work with corporate priorities and demonstrate strategic impact. High performers translate leadership messaging, earnings calls, and annual goals into explicit contributions that matter to executives and managers. Early alignment requires clarifying evaluation criteria, making connections between daily work and top objectives, and communicating how efforts ladder up. Proactive positioning includes thoughtful planning, consistent delivery of business-relevant results, and seeking feedback outside formal review cycles. Those who act early are more likely to be perceived as operating at the next level and earn promotions.
Read at Business Insider
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