Customer Obsession - Of Your Own Promotion

I've been chatting with many engineers about their promotion journeys. For junior and mid-level engineers, promotion often dominates their professional lives. Through promotions, they acquire the necessary technical and emotional skills to transition from societal takers to contributors. That is important to a healthy society as a whole. If there are more takers than givers, the society eventually breaks down.

However, a common issue I've observed is engineers assuming that if they complete their assignments, they should earn a promotion.

If promotion eludes them, resentment builds.

“I've done what was asked of me, why haven't I been promoted?” they feel hurt and betrayed.

“Have you read the role guidelines for the next level and the criteria for advancement from your current level?” I asked a team member.

“No. I thought they were just generic guidelines, not relevant to my situation.” he responded.

“Then have you asked your manager and team leads about what you lack to move to the next level?” I continued.

“They said I need to complete a larger scope project to prove myself,” he replied confidently.

“What you heard is an excuse of avoiding giving you constructive feedbacks. If everything is ready and you're simply awaiting an opportunity, then your manager has failed you by not providing this opportunity sooner. The role guideline provides a concrete checklist of the growth you need and data points to demonstrate your growth.

Promotion isn't about completing your current tasks. It involves approaching problems differently, solving solutions with new insights you don’t have before, and interacting differently with team members and stakeholders. It's a qualitative change, achieved through substantial quantitative deliverables. It isn't a single project that leads to promotion; it's the journey that transforms you, with promotion merely a tangible and social acknowledgment of your completion of this stage of your career.

Amazon's paramount leadership principle is Customer Obsession. In career development, you're your own customer. Thus, obsess over your own development. Understand your current position, your goal, and what it takes to bridge the gap. The role guideline is your roadmap. Begin at your goal - your promotion - and plot a path backwards. Ideally, find the shortest path with few pitfalls. But like any journey, yours won't be linear; you'll zig and zag, bypass obstacles, even stumble occasionally. Each step, however, enriches your unique experience.

If fortunate, someone who has undertaken a similar journey might guide you, offering tips to accelerate your pace. But they can't walk for you. They can't drag you either - it's your journey, your choice, and ultimately your promotion.

So, apply customer obsession to your promotion! Take on the journey that is you experience - nobody can do it for you, and nobody can take away from you.”