Promotion Readiness Coaching

Results get you considered; something else gets you chosen

At junior levels, promotion often follows performance. Higher up, the question changes. Decision-makers stop asking “can this person do the work?” and start asking “can this person lead at the next level, and will others follow them?”

I sat in talent reviews and succession discussions for much of my HR career, and I know how often that judgement rests on impressions that are never explained to the candidate: perspective, presence, relationships, judgement. Promotion readiness coaching makes those impressions visible so you can work on them.

You may be closer than you think, or further than you have been told

These are the situations that most often bring people to promotion readiness coaching.

• ✦Your appraisals are strong, yet the role you wanted went to someone else and the explanation was vague.
• ✦You have been told you are “nearly ready” for more than one cycle.
• ✦You are so valuable in your current role that nobody wants to move you.
• ✦You are a technical expert and unsure what leadership capability the next role really requires.
• ✦You are part of a national talent or succession programme and want to make the most of it.
• ✦You are preparing for an internal panel or an important career conversation with your manager.

Four questions we answer together

1. 01

   What does the next role actually demand?

   We define the role by its decisions, relationships and scope, not its title. Often the gap is thinking at enterprise level rather than functional level.

2. 02

   How are you seen today?

   We gather an honest picture from feedback you already have, from conversations you can start and from what you notice in senior meetings.

3. 03

   Where is the real gap?

   Sometimes it is a skill. More often it is visibility, influence with senior stakeholders, or a quiet belief that you do not yet belong at that level.

4. 04

   What will you practise now?

   You begin operating at the next level in your current role, in specific meetings and decisions, so readiness is demonstrated rather than claimed.

Readiness is partly visible behaviour and partly inner belief

Some of the work is outward: how you contribute in executive meetings, how you build relationships beyond your own team, how you talk about your results. Leaders preparing for senior roles often benefit from focused work on executive presence as part of this.

Some of it is inward. Many capable people hold back without realising it. They wait to be invited, understate their ambition, or believe the next role is meant for someone more confident. Growth begins within, and readiness often shifts once that belief is examined honestly.

The first session is an honest look at where you stand

In our first session we talk about the role you want, the feedback you have had and the story you tell yourself about why it has not happened yet. I ask questions; I won’t tell you what your next move should be.

We usually finish with a clearer statement of what readiness means for your target role and two or three areas to work on first. If it helps, you also plan the conversation you need to have with your manager about your progression. My article on being overlooked for promotion covers that situation in more depth.

Coaching cannot promote you, but it changes what decision-makers see

I cannot promise a promotion, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Decisions depend on the organisation, the timing and the people involved. What coaching can do is help you become the leader the next role needs, and make that visible. For a balanced view, read whether a coach can help you get promoted.

My background sits squarely in this territory. I spent more than 26 years in leadership, HR and talent development in financial services, FMCG, entrepreneurship and government, building talent strategies and developing leaders. I coach as an ICF PCC, with more than 4,500 hours of practice behind me.