So you just got a promotion! That’s awesome and it’s well deserved. You’ve done awesome work at a exceptional performance level – to get you here. Congratulations.
Now – here is what’s going to happen next.I know this because I was upper management in a High Tech Industry.
The management circle often uses this opportunity (that “she just received a promotion”) to automatically give the talented employee an Average or Below Expectation Performance Evaluation – for the next review cycle. Their rationalization is that “She is in a new role with more responsibility – Of course it’s going to take her time to learn the ropes on this new position. She can’t expect to be exceeding expectation at this level the first time out. She can’t expect to be delivering at the same level as the folks that have been executing at this level for longer.”
Realize – the management team normally has a quota of how many Excellent, Above Expectation, Average and Below Expectation rating to give their various teams. They rate, rank and sort everyone (across all departments) of the same band, and level. Then they count off how many Excellent, Above Expectation, Average and Below Expectation ratings from this pooled list to meet their quotas.
Realize that you are not being judged on your work alone – but you are being judged against all the other employees (across all departments) that are at your new, promoted level; against people that have been executing at this level longer that you have; against people that know and have been working with the upper management level longer than you.
Realize that with this new level, you have a different level of business networking responsibilities. You have a different set of people you have to impress and cultivate. You have a set of different people that you are going to be compared against that already have this head-start in knowing and working with the right people. They already have the inside track to “professional loyalty”. Because upper management already know these people and have been working with them at this specific level – they tend to give them a higher ranking that someone that’s new to the band.
Because you are somewhat below on the ranking list – when they draw their quota lines for Average and Below Average grades – you normally fit in that range.
This gives upper management an easy opportunity to use one of their tough Below Expectations or Average ratings – without feeling “bad” about it. “After all – how can she expect a good review at this new level? She’s using the first year to get her feet wet and learning the ropes.”
I know this because I was upper management in a High Tech Industry.
Now is the time to show them that “This may be true of other people just being promoted – but IT AIN’T SO for ME”.
It’s great that you received this promotion – but this is not the time to relax on your past accomplishments. You should understand the politics behind getting a promotion. And – at the mid-year mark” – you still have time to turn this rationale around.
If you are interested in assuring that this does not happen to you – ask me about some Summer Career Booster tips specifically for your unique situation.
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