You don’t get promoted for working hard. You get promoted for making your impact undeniable.

Most professionals make the same mistake when aiming for a promotion. They either assume hard work speaks for itself or that their boss will advocate on their behalf.

A Harvard Business Review study found that only 10% of managers can accurately recall their team’s contributions at year-end reviews. Meaning, 90% of the value you create could be forgotten unless you make it visible.

A McKinsey study found that top performers who actively manage visibility are promoted 2X faster than their peers. It’s not just what you do. It’s how well key decision-makers see, understand, and value your contributions.

Having achieved 7 promotions in under 10 years myself at L'Oréal and supporting our clients to land better roles and promotions consistently, let's make sure you focus on the right things the right way.

[Check out my free LinkedIn Learning nano-course on Nano Tips to Fast Track Your Career]

10 ways to get promoted faster

1/ Tie everything to business impact.

It's not just about what you put in. It's about driving clear results for the business.

Where possible, quantify your impact (i.e. sales growth, cost reduction, process improvements, time gains, efficiencies, before and after improvements, quotas met, stakeholders impacted, etc...).

Example: "I led a project that increased efficiency by 30%, saving $100K over the last 6 month period. We can now re-allocate those funds to further support the top line growth for our sales department as I know that's a top priority given recent market shifts."

Why it works: Senior leaders think in business outcomes. Attach numbers to everything because it's hard to deny facts when it comes to your promotion.

2/ Use a 'wins recap' email.

At the end of every week, send a concise email to your manager summarizing your key contributions and their impact so they don't assume anything of you.
​
​Example: "Hey Michelle. Quick update for the week. I streamlined our onboarding process, reducing average setup time by 40%. That’s projected to save 100+ team hours per quarter."

Why it works: It keeps your contributions top of mind and makes it easy for your boss to advocate for you.

3/ Speak up in leadership meetings.

Your voice matters.

Pro tip: Speak to the event host prior to the meeting so you get a clear idea of topics that will be covered. This way, you can proactively think of valuable insights and messages you'll want to share.
​
​Example: "One challenge I’ve noticed is that the data is inconsistent between these 2 reporting formats. I ran some initial tests and found that streamlining the inputs and optimizing for 1 core metric could reduce errors by 20%. I'd like to discuss how we can implement this."

Why it works: Be the one who surfaces problems and proposes solutions. Your leadership team will recognize you as results-driven and an ally helping move the business forward, even for hard decisions.

[Check out my recent newsletter on How to build strong relationships with executives]

4/ Own a problem no one else wants to solve

Most people wait for assignments. Instead, spot high-value problems and take initiative without being asked.
​
​Example: "I noticed that this current process is costing us X hours/money. I’d love to take the lead on fixing it to support our divisional goals. Here’s a quick idea to get started."

Why it works: Promotions go to problem-solvers, not task-doers.

5/ Make your boss's life easier

Beyond your day-to-day tasks, proactively remove friction for your manager.

Example: "I know you’re preparing for next quarter’s strategy meeting. I pulled some key data points from the past 6 months to help. Let me know if this is useful."

Why it works: When leaders trust you to lighten their load, you become indispensable. It also gives them more time and space to support your development goals.

6/ Build relationships with senior leaders (without being pushy)

Do not limit your networking within your immediate team. Strategically engage with decision-makers.

Example: "I really enjoyed your insights in last week’s meeting. If you have 15 minutes sometime this month, I’d love to hear your thoughts on [industry trend/topic]. I also have some recommendations to support what we're working towards on this. Let me know what time works best for you."

Why it works: Visibility = opportunity. Leaders promote people they know and trust.

This is exactly the strategy we focused on with our client who secured her internal promotion.

7/ Present like a leader

Avoid sharing long, detailed explanations. They don't have time for that. Instead, deliver concise, solution-focused messages.

Example: "Our customer retention dropped by 10% this quarter which came mainly from delays in onboarding. A simple fix of reducing manual steps could cut onboarding time by 50%. I’d love to take the lead on making that happen."

Why it works: Senior execs respect clarity and initiative. Keep it simple and focused.

8/ Use the ‘future vision’ strategy

Be specific about what you want and when you want it. Avoid statements like “I’d love to be promoted someday” and shift towards “Here’s what I can do at the next level”. Proof over promise.

Example: "I’d love to take on an official people manager role within the team. I’ve already started developing my team management skills in mentoring our new hires last quarter and facilitating trainings across departments. What steps can I take to solidify my candidacy for this role in the next 6 months, if not sooner?"

Why it works: If you don't ask, you don't get. More than anything, align on the action plan to get you there.

9/ Take feedback like a high performer

Feedback is a gift. Treat it that way. Show that you take feedback and turn it into results.

Example: "Thanks for that feedback. I hadn’t considered that before. I’ll apply it to my latest project and check in with you next month to see if I’m on the right track. Does that sound like a good plan?"

Why it works: Leaders promote coachable employees who can grow fast.

This strategy worked so well for our client who was initially rejected for his internal promotion. Within just 6 weeks, we took the feedback he received, leveraged it to level up and nailed his next set of interviews to secure the promotion he truly wanted.

10/ Uncover any gaps holding you back

Hoping to get promoted is not a strategy. Ask a direct question that uncovers hesitations or roadblocks preventing it from happening sooner.

Example: "I’m excited about growing into Director level. I've also spoken with several colleagues at this stage in the company too and see some strong overlap in my skillset for that next move. Based on my contributions, do you see any gaps I should focus on to secure this opportunity this year?"

Why it works: By asking these types of questions, you learn what's standing in your way and can action it.

Which strategy are you most excited to try out? Simply reply back to this newsletter to let me know.

You've got this!