RON ASHKENAS
We’ve all seen examples of people who were promoted from a job they did very well to an assignment for which they were less qualified. But what most people don’t realize is that these situations come about not only through formal promotions but also because of rapid growth, mergers and reorganizations within the company. I call this phenomenon the “invisible promotion” – when a job title and description stays the same while the associated responsibilities significantly expand.
Here’s a quick example: As a result of a series of acquisitions and a reorganization, the finance director of a single division of a consumer products company essentially was made chief financial officer in a few months. Suddenly he was responsible not just for end-of-period financial reporting but also for a new financial planning unit, a newly installed financial system and occasional meetings with stock analysts. His title hadn’t changed (nor his salary), but the scope of his job had increased considerably. As a result, this finance director struggled to meet his internal clients’ expectations and his boss’s demands, and he was eventually replaced.
The interesting thing about this case – and most invisible promotions – is that if the company had actually recruited for this expanded finance role, the incumbent probably wouldn’t have been seriously considered for the position. But since the job had evolved invisibly, the company didn’t recognize the change.
Given the frequency of invisible promotions and their potential negative consequences, it’s important to periodically review your own job to assess any unrecognized changes in scope. Ask yourself these questions:
- To what extent has my role expanded over the past six months?
- How different is my current role from the job description that existed when I started?
- What new skills do I need in order to succeed in my job today that weren’t necessary before?
- If I was coming into this job from the outside, what would I do differently?
If these questions reveal significant changes in your role, don’t wait for your boss to recognize that you’ve been invisibly promoted. Revise your job description or write down some bullet points listing what the job now entails. Have an honest discussion with your immediate supervisor about what it will take to manage these new responsibilities, how you’ll develop the required skills and what he can do to help.
Make your invisible promotion visible to both you and your boss. Doing so will get you the recognition you deserve and the support you need.
(Ron Ashkenas is a managing partner of Robert H. Schaffer & Associates, a Stamford, Conn. consulting firm. His latest book is “Simply Effective.”)
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