Is Your Boss Secretly Thinking of Promoting You?

You’ve been in your role for a while and you seem to be acing it. You may even feel like your boss completely trusts you to do whatever it takes to succeed and you’re pretty much meeting all your milestones.

Frankly, you’re ready to move on to other things – a bigger role, perhaps. And guess what, your boss might be thinking the exact same thing!

There are certain signs your boss wants to promote you, and if you recognise any of these, it’s time to make full use of the opportunity to prove to your boss that you’re ready for the next step.

#1 Your boss is inviting you to management meetings
This is a big deal, especially if you’re assigned to report or present during management meetings! Whether you will be promoted or not does not rest solely on your direct boss; in fact, for many organisations, promotions require other senior management staff to have a say, especially if your next role is quite a high-up role. If your boss is bringing you to more management meetings, it means he’s giving you the chance to contribute to higher-level decisions so you can shine in front of the other key leaders. Take full use of this opportunity to really impress so that the promotion is in the bag!

#2 Your boss turns to you for your input
When you’re a junior, you’re required to accept what’s told of you. But when you reach a certain senior level, your boss might be turning to you to ask for ideas or even ways where you see fit to improve on your role. If this is happening more and more these days, you know you’re in a good place for a promotion. Learn to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively so you show your boss you’re in the right frame of mind to become a leader, not a follower. Boss asking you for your input on someone else’s work? It’s a big sign! But don’t criticise your colleague’s contribution; instead hone those diplomatic skills and learn to provide constructive feedback on what works, what doesn’t, and what else can be done.

#3 Your boss asks you about your future goals
HUGE SIGN HERE! If your superior is inquiring about your future aspirations and objectives, it’s a good indication that they are contemplating providing you with a promotion to retain you in the company and show you the ropes to achieve these goals. Essentially, it’s a way of conveying that they have bigger plans for you and if you’re up for it, that promotion is yours. So show how you can continue to contribute to the company and what you need to advance in your career. When the time is right, your boss will ensure that everything will be lined up for your success.

#4 You’re being assigned to senior-level tasks
A great way to evaluate if you’re ready for the next step? When your manager assigns you a heavier workload or a more complex project to assess your abilities. Think of it as a test to see if you have what it takes for a more senior role. Demonstrate your ability and potential so your manager has all the right reasons to promote you.

#5 Your boss tells you himself!
Sometimes, it’s as clear cut as your boss telling you that you’re in line for a promotion if everything goes your way. This is a great opportunity to really step up to the plate and prove that yes, you are worthy of that promotion. Ask for guidance from your boss on how you can make it happen and what it takes to show others that you are in it for the long run. Perhaps you can get a detailed roadmap to your promotion so you have a clear focus on what you need to do to show you’re ready for the opportunity when the time comes.

Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash.