Write your own promo doc

"Hi Tommy, have you started working with your manager on your promotion document?" I asked.

"Nope. My manager is new to the company. It will take him a while to figure out where to start I guess." Tommy answered.

"I see ... why don't you write your own promotion document?" I suggested.

"Writing my own promo doc?" Tommy got confused. "I thought only managers should write promo doc!"

"While your manager is ultimately responsible for the final version of your promo doc - making sure its content, format and overall quality are up to the bar - promotion is a journey you and your manager walk together. The first step of this journey can be drafting your own promotion document. Let me explain."

Promotion is a collaborative journey between you and your manager, a process which requires your proactive engagement. This may include creating your own promotion document. It is more effort for you but like many other things in life, the more your put in the process, the more you get out of it.

1. Greater Control Over Your Narrative The promotion document is the narrative of your professional journey within the organization and your vision for the future. It provides a canvas where you can paint your achievements, skills, and potential in the most suitable light. While your manager may be acquainted with your work, you are the one who intimately knows the ins and outs of your projects, the challenges faced, and the triumphs savored. By writing your own promotion document, you ensure that your professional story is told accurately and persuasively.

2. Personal Growth and Self-Assessment The act of writing a promotion document is inherently introspective. You'll delve into your professional journey, identifying areas of strength and potential growth. This self-assessment can help you understand where you stand, what gaps you need to fill, and how to strategize for the future. It provides an opportunity to step back from the daily grind and look at the bigger picture, evaluating your performance in a holistic manner.

3. Creating a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Writing your own promotion document has a peculiar psychological advantage - it can serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy. By outlining your goals, highlighting your skills, and stating your case for promotion, you are setting up expectations. You not only give yourself a bar to reach but also influence others' perceptions of you. This document then acts as both a professional manifesto and a catalyst, spurring you on to fulfill the vision you've laid out.

By taking charge of drafting your own promo doc, you assert control over your career narrative, plan your future effectively, facilitate introspection, foster better manager relationships, and create a self-fulfilling prophecy of success. So instead of waiting for your manager to define your professional growth, take up the pen and write your own promotion story.