It’s that time of year again, so let’s review how things work…
When talking about raises and title changes I always recommend a three-pronged approach:
Your Top 3 Justifications
- In-Place Growth – The better you can justify how your job has significantly grown since you first began in the position, the better. Chart out the increase in widgets, transactions, customers, budget, direct reports, etc. – whatever you can use to quantify your ‘in place’ growth, the better. (If your Flash Stats are meaningful enough, they will justify the ‘reasonableness’ of your request.)
- Separation – The better you can justify how you are currently performing duties ‘above and beyond’ the duties that people at your current level are performing, the better. This validates that you are already doing more than others. It’s sometimes helpful to think about this as a ‘push’ strategy – that you are proving that you have already pushed yourself up FROM (and beyond) your current level.
- Realignment – The better you can justify how you’re currently performing duties that are already similar to (on a par with) those being performed by people ALREADY at the next level, the better. This further justifies that your role and responsibilities are much better aligned with those at this higher level than they are at your current level and, overall, it’s actually more of a precedent-setting move to NOT formalize your raise (or promotion) than it is to simply authorize the upgrade. It’s sometimes helpful to think about this as a ‘pull’ strategy – that you are proving that you have already pulled yourself up TO the next level.
All three points – in-place growth, separation, and re-alignment – must be made, though, if you want your request to truly be a compelling business justification, the type that your boss can easily take to his/her boss to request approval on your behalf.
Sadly, two of three typically won’t be compelling enough. And, of course, each prong must be strong enough to stand on its own. So the onus is on you to articulate these points, as such.
Additional Considerations
A few other elements to keep in mind:
- If you have some people OUTSIDE of your vertical chain-of-command who can sing your praises to your boss, that’d help make it even easier for your boss to obtain whatever approvals s/he might need to make things happen.
- You might also ask for some *additional* responsibilities because: (a) you’re obviously ready for them; and (b) they’d help further justify the upgrade you’re seeking.
- If s/he responds, “Sorry, no,” ask what other options might exist for increasing your compensation, recognition, and/or authority. Don’t discount the value of something less formal, such as additional comp time, increased visibility, to get you on a promotion track, a meeting with his/her boss to discuss additional possibilities, etc.
- Know that with bonus pools, there’s almost ALWAYS some secret ‘extra’ money available for ‘special circumstances.’ And yours IS a ‘special circumstance,’ is it not? Make it easy to see that.
If All Else Fails
Know, too, that it’s sometimes helpful to ask your boss if the issue is that s/he doesn’t want to promote you…or s/he does, but just can’t get approval TO promote you.
If s/he doesn’t want to promote you, you need him/her to explain why not and then decide if you want to accept it, request a meeting with his/her boss to make your case, or look for new work (inside or out of the company).
If s/he wants to promote you but can’t get the necessary approvals, ask that s/he and you both meet with his/her boss to discuss options, alternatives, and time frames.
Hope this helps. And if this works for you, send me one of your new business cards