I've been a guest on a couple of podcasts lately, where I was asked about the difference between being a strong performer and being promotable.

I love this question, because it touches on a key misunderstanding so many of you have:

Being a strong performer is the path to getting promoted.

This could not be further from the truth. In fact, when I'm asked about the difference between being a high performer and being promotable, my answer is that they are completely different things! We need to stop confusing high performance with getting promoted.

I've observed so many women fall into this trap, and given that it's come up multiple times lately, I thought it was the perfect topic to tackle in today's newsletter.

Let's dive in…

What does it mean to be a high performer?

High performers focus on producing consistently high-quality work and going above and beyond in their job duties. Many of you reading this probably fall into this category!

You don't just complete a task, you ensure it's as close to perfect as possible.

You're always asking yourself, “What could make this project even better?”

You're on time with deadlines and highly organized.

You hit or exceed your goals and KPIs.

People love working with you.

As a high performer, you consistently contribute positively to the team and always produce excellent work product. If something needs to be done right, you're the one we give it to.

Leaders rarely worry about you hitting your targets. We know you've got it.

The only problem is that, if you're trying to get to the next level and this is your strategy, you may end up disappointed.

Women tell me all the time that they believe they're not getting promoted because they are so good in their current role that their boss doesn't want to lose them. Sometimes, this may be the case, but often these women are confusing high performance with promotability.

Why do we fall into this trap

It's easy to see how we fall into the trap of believing that being a high performer means we are on the path to promotion. When we're in school and early in our careers, being a high performer is rewarded!

We get straight As, we receive praise, and we probably get our first promotion to team lead or manager through being a high performer alone.

I understand this all too well because this was exactly what happened with me.

Because being a high performer (working hard and executing well) made me so successful early in my career, it became ingrained that this was the path to continued success and career advancement.

I expect the same is true for you. Being a high performer has always served you well. So the story you now tell yourself is that the way to be successful is to continue to be a high performer.

And let's be honest, it feels good to be a high performer! Our work is often praised, and we get a dopamine hit when people tell us what a great job we've done.

It was only once I landed in a director-level role that I realized this was no longer working. My career stalled, and I had no idea why. I bet some of you are in the same boat.

This is why it becomes really important to understand the difference between being a high performer and being promotable.

What does being ‘promotable' look like?

The key difference between being a high performer and being promotable is that a high performer does their current job really, really well, and someone who is promotable consistently demonstrates that they are operating at the next level.

This may seem obvious, but so many of you overlook this difference. You assume that because you're hitting your goals or maybe even exceeding them, you're in line for that next promotion. This is not the case.

Demonstrating that you're promotable, especially once you get to more senior levels, requires you to demonstrate that you already have the core skills required to do the job at the next level up.

This is really important because once you move into a director, senior director or VP role and beyond, hard work is no longer the differentiator. And demonstrating that you work really hard and do your job perfectly is no longer enough to convince leadership you should be promoted.

To convince leadership that you're ready to step into a VP-level role (for example) often comes down to demonstrating a broader understanding of the business and strategy, and big picture thinking.

You want to show that you understand what's important and are capable of proposing strategies and solutions to help the company reach its goals.

Here are some examples of what this looks like:

  • Taking initiative to lead beyond the scope of your role, seeing something that needs to be done and offering to lead it
  • Proposing a new strategy to create growth based on a strategic insight you've gained
  • Recognizing that an issue in your function is a more global problem, and proposing a solution that will benefit the entire company

As you can see, all of these are examples of thinking bigger and more broadly than your role alone.

Start doing this, and creating visibility into this work, and leadership will begin to see you in a new light. You'll be top of mind when that next senior role comes up.

I help women make this jump, and there is nothing more satisfying than the announcement of a new role or promotion. In just the past couple of weeks, we've helped women land a new Sr. Director and VP roles!!

If you want to be next and learn how to go from being a high performer to the no-brainer choice for that next VP role, registration is now open for the ​Own Your Seat at the Table program​! This is my proven program to help you land that VP (or Sr. Director) role, and thrive there.

And until Nov. 30th, you can join with a $900 discount!!

If you have any questions or want to chat with my team to see if it's right for you, you can ​book a call here​.

Until next time friends… ✌️💜

Katy