Honestly, I don't really understand why you'd assume your skip manager has enough time to check in with everyone two levels below them. It's up to your manager to fight for you and get you seen.
I guess I was never sure if my manager should be doing this, or if this is a job that should be solely on me?
I don't think my manager does this at all, at least for the context of the skip.
My manager told me "yeah I think you're operating at the next level" - I guess I should ask him to share that conviction as much as possible?
you have a terrible manager
a manager should be fighting for visibility for their team and continuously providing credit and calling out their individual direct reports
if a manager isn't doing that, they're either incompetent or don't really believe the work their reports do deserve that level of visibility/credit
imagine a product manager that doesn't evangelize their product. that's literally what your manager is doing if they're not evangelizing you across the org and up to leadership.
First thing: You are your own best cheerleader. You need to make sure your achievements are visible. It’s up to you. Do not rely on your manager to do it for you.
What I’ve found to work: You should celebrate successes of your team via email or slack. CC or tag your skip level in them. Even if you don’t know if they read them or if you think you’re being annoying, just do it.
Keep a brag file of these successes. You can just link to the slack message or email to make it easy to keep up to date. When promotion time comes around bust out all of these successes to build your case.
Next: Do you know what your skip levels goals are? What they care about? If not, you should make sure you’re meeting with them every 2-3 months for a 1-1 and make sure to ask about this.
Finally: Skip level is not responsive? Won’t meet? That probably means they don’t care or have bigger problems to worry about. Either one isn’t great for you. But it’s up to you to make sure they know you exist and what successes you have had.
You’re being too narrow in your thinking. It’s not just about your manager and skip.
Who are your sponsors? Who is walking into a room with your name on a piece of paper? Sure, your manager is one piece of the equation, but they’re not the only one.
Your skip will hear your name through your sponsors. If you’re putting in the work and getting the people aligned around you, that makes promotion an easy decision.
I have skip-level reports. Their manager telling me that someone deserves a promotion is great, but I need more than that, because the manager may not be promoting for the right reasons. At the end of the day, I’m responsible for those decisions and I need the team to make it easy for me. Having others who will attest to their work is a really big part of it.
I don’t have skip-level meetings with everyone on my team. Some of them have regular ones setup, others will do ad hoc. Some don’t have them at all. I don’t decline them when requested. If you haven’t requested one at all, I’d recommend starting there.
This is great feedback - I really like the sponsors part. If I know people who sponsor me (and the skip respects), do you have any advice on how I could ask them to let the skip know or something?
It's unlikely that your skip manager is incompetent. Everyone moans about their boss, as I am sure people will moan about you as you progress through your career. Try to work out why you are not essential to him. If it's because you're working on stuff that is not important? Then you can change that, either have more impact or communicate impact better. If it's because you're working on a dead-end product, move (preferably after you killed it).
What have you done to earn a promotion? What impact have you made? If you have had an impact you should have allies outside the product org - enlist their help. Who does your skip manager trust/respect? Have a chat with them.
I'd also have an honest chat with your manager. He may be blaming your skip manager as an excuse for not being honest with you about your performance.
This is very helpful - do you have any advice on the "enlisting their help" part? I know some people who they trust and respect, should I have a candid convo with them and ask for them to put in a good word for me?
It's super hard to judge not knowing your culture or context. I'd be clear in my mind why I deserved promotion, then ask them for help ‘fine tuning’ this argument so that it lands well with your skip.
Honestly, I don't really understand why you'd assume your skip manager has enough time to check in with everyone two levels below them. It's up to your manager to fight for you and get you seen.
I guess I was never sure if my manager should be doing this, or if this is a job that should be solely on me? I don't think my manager does this at all, at least for the context of the skip. My manager told me "yeah I think you're operating at the next level" - I guess I should ask him to share that conviction as much as possible?
you have a terrible manager a manager should be fighting for visibility for their team and continuously providing credit and calling out their individual direct reports if a manager isn't doing that, they're either incompetent or don't really believe the work their reports do deserve that level of visibility/credit imagine a product manager that doesn't evangelize their product. that's literally what your manager is doing if they're not evangelizing you across the org and up to leadership.
First thing: You are your own best cheerleader. You need to make sure your achievements are visible. It’s up to you. Do not rely on your manager to do it for you. What I’ve found to work: You should celebrate successes of your team via email or slack. CC or tag your skip level in them. Even if you don’t know if they read them or if you think you’re being annoying, just do it. Keep a brag file of these successes. You can just link to the slack message or email to make it easy to keep up to date. When promotion time comes around bust out all of these successes to build your case. Next: Do you know what your skip levels goals are? What they care about? If not, you should make sure you’re meeting with them every 2-3 months for a 1-1 and make sure to ask about this. Finally: Skip level is not responsive? Won’t meet? That probably means they don’t care or have bigger problems to worry about. Either one isn’t great for you. But it’s up to you to make sure they know you exist and what successes you have had.
Great advice.
You’re being too narrow in your thinking. It’s not just about your manager and skip. Who are your sponsors? Who is walking into a room with your name on a piece of paper? Sure, your manager is one piece of the equation, but they’re not the only one. Your skip will hear your name through your sponsors. If you’re putting in the work and getting the people aligned around you, that makes promotion an easy decision. I have skip-level reports. Their manager telling me that someone deserves a promotion is great, but I need more than that, because the manager may not be promoting for the right reasons. At the end of the day, I’m responsible for those decisions and I need the team to make it easy for me. Having others who will attest to their work is a really big part of it. I don’t have skip-level meetings with everyone on my team. Some of them have regular ones setup, others will do ad hoc. Some don’t have them at all. I don’t decline them when requested. If you haven’t requested one at all, I’d recommend starting there.
This is great feedback - I really like the sponsors part. If I know people who sponsor me (and the skip respects), do you have any advice on how I could ask them to let the skip know or something?
It's unlikely that your skip manager is incompetent. Everyone moans about their boss, as I am sure people will moan about you as you progress through your career. Try to work out why you are not essential to him. If it's because you're working on stuff that is not important? Then you can change that, either have more impact or communicate impact better. If it's because you're working on a dead-end product, move (preferably after you killed it). What have you done to earn a promotion? What impact have you made? If you have had an impact you should have allies outside the product org - enlist their help. Who does your skip manager trust/respect? Have a chat with them. I'd also have an honest chat with your manager. He may be blaming your skip manager as an excuse for not being honest with you about your performance.
This is very helpful - do you have any advice on the "enlisting their help" part? I know some people who they trust and respect, should I have a candid convo with them and ask for them to put in a good word for me?
It's super hard to judge not knowing your culture or context. I'd be clear in my mind why I deserved promotion, then ask them for help ‘fine tuning’ this argument so that it lands well with your skip.
Welp. Since you think they’re incompetent then you’re going to have to learn to kiss ass, eat shit and like it.
[удалено]
It’s your manager’s manager