Hard work, while essential, isn’t always sufficient for career advancement. This crucial topic was the focus of my recent conversation with Kendall Berg, founder of That Career Coach and author of "Secrets of the Career Game." With a significant following on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, Kendall offers unique insights into career progression strategies based on her extensive experience in senior technology strategy roles at major corporations such as Capital One, JP Morgan Chase, Samsung, and AT&T. Our discussion offers practical insights for experienced corporate professionals looking to excel in their careers.
In this newsletter, I will discuss the key themes from our conversation to help overcome your career barriers and achieve your promotion and job search goals.
How to Get Promoted Faster
1: Understand the "Hidden Rules" of Corporate Success
Kendall shared a pivotal career moment when a respected VP candidly informed her that while she was highly competent, her colleagues didn't enjoy working with her. This direct feedback became a crucial turning point, revealing the hidden aspect of corporate success: relationship-building and likeability. Many professionals, especially high achievers, overlook these interpersonal dimensions, focusing solely on technical performance.
This revelation emphasizes that corporate success extends beyond delivering quality work. It includes the nuanced ability to foster professional relationships, create alliances, and communicate effectively with various stakeholders.
2: The Importance of Receiving and Applying Constructive Feedback
Feedback, even when painful, can significantly influence career trajectories. Kendall described receiving difficult feedback from a superior, which initially felt hurtful but later became transformative. By adopting a growth mindset, Kendall sought mentorship and actively worked on improving her interpersonal skills, notably making small talk, a task she initially undervalued. This willingness to adjust and learn from feedback substantially accelerated her career advancement, leading to multiple promotions within a short period.
3: Transitioning from Technical Expert to Effective Leader
Another major theme from our conversation centered on the challenge professionals face when transitioning from expert roles to leadership positions. Kendall highlighted that being an effective leader involves relinquishing some direct control and becoming skilled in guiding teams collaboratively. This shift requires professionals to develop patience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to engage team members in problem-solving, rather than dictating outcomes.
Kendall shared her experience of turning around challenging teams, attributing her success to clear communication, strategic delegation, and fostering a supportive team environment. These skills proved pivotal when she was offered a CFO role early in her career, a position she ultimately declined, recognizing it wasn't aligned with her broader personal and professional goals.
Actionable Strategies for Job Seekers:
Strategy 1: Build Authentic Relationships
Investing time in building authentic, professional relationships is essential. For example, actively scheduling meetings with senior peers or executives, seeking genuine connections through meaningful interactions. By consistently demonstrating interest in others' careers and personal lives, you can create strong internal networks, ensuring influential advocates during critical promotion discussions.
Strategy 2: Ask the Right Questions for Career Progression
Professionals often express frustration about stalled career growth without having explicitly communicated their aspirations or sought detailed feedback. It's important to proactively ask targeted questions, such as: "What gaps exist between my current performance and the next level?" This clarity allows professionals to strategically address shortcomings and showcase their readiness for advancement.
Strategy 3: Align Career Choices with Personal Values and Passions
Job satisfaction significantly impacts performance and career longevity. Kendall recommends professionals articulate three non-technical passion statements (e.g., leading teams, seeing tangible outcomes from efforts, building cross-functional relationships) to guide career decisions. Using these statements as criteria ensures professionals pursue roles aligned with their strengths and interests, significantly increasing career satisfaction and success.
I employ various techniques tailored to my clients' needs, but I also appreciate Kendall's approach. It shows that you need to test different coaches and methods and do what works best for you.
Future Outlook:
The ability to navigate hidden workplace dynamics is crucial for career advancement. With the rise of automation and AI, technical expertise alone will diminish in differentiation power. Professionals who master soft skills, such as emotional intelligence, adaptability, relationship management, and strategic communication, will hold a distinct competitive advantage.
To remain competitive, you must prioritize continuous learning and professional development in these interpersonal skills. Leveraging mentorship, coaching, and peer networks will become essential tools for sustained career advancement in the coming years. I encourage you to remain proactive in learning and adapting your career strategies.
Career feeling stalled? Listen to this week's episode:
Kendall Berg shares strategies to master workplace dynamics, build crucial relationships, and advance your corporate career.
Listen now:
- Listen to the full episode on the podcast website
- Listen on Apple Podcasts
- Listen on Spotify
- Watch on YouTube
Time Out
- I'm reading Granddaughter, a novel by the German author Bernhard Schlink. He's best known for The Reader, a classic of Holocaust literature, which was made into a movie. This new book focuses on East and West Germany, the reunification, and the legacy of that period. Although his topics are often hard, his writing is so rewarding.
- I haven't recommended an Instagram account in a while, so here's one. @sibatable makes art with food. Imagine eating pasta, but it's shaped as a shirt or jeans? Or a soup that has little cats inside? You can go check it out, it's hard to explain! While you are on Instagram, check out my new profile. I have revamped the images and highlights - please let me know what you think!
- I did a movie marathon this weekend and watched The Accountant movies 1 and 2. I like action movies, but no one else in the house was interested in joining me! The second movie is better than the first, so maybe that will motivate you!
If this newsletter helped you:
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To your career success
RBX
Renata Bernarde | Career Coach | Host, The Job Hunting Podcast
