Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Help You Build a Coalition Before You Move
Transcript
- Lucas: You know that moment when you've decided you want to move internally, you've found the role, you've even talked to the hiring manager — and then it all falls apart because someone you didn't factor in quietly blocked it? Luna: Oh, absolutely. That's the hidden landmine of internal transfers. You think you've got it handled, and then the person two doors down who never even met you says, 'I'm not sure they're ready.' Lucas: Exactly. And that's what we're talking about today: building a coalition before you make the move. It's the difference between a transfer that feels like a natural handoff and one that feels like you're trying to sneak through a back door. Luna: So it's not just about getting the new manager on board, but proactively winning over the people who can make or break the transition. Lucas: Right. And I want to anchor this in a real case. I talked to a marketing manager at a midsize tech company — let's call her Priya — who wanted to move from product marketing into a new strategic partnerships role. The problem? That role was technically in a different division, and the division head had a reputation for being territorial. Luna: Oof. That's a tough start. Did she try to just go around him? Lucas: She was smart about it. Instead of going straight to the hiring manager and asking for the move, she spent about three months building a coalition. She identified four key stakeholders: the division head, the hiring manager, a peer in partnerships she'd worked with before, and the VP of strategy who sat above all of them. Luna: She started with the peer she already knew. Smart. That's the least threatening entry point. Lucas: Exactly. She asked that peer to grab coffee and just talked about what the partnerships team was working on, what their biggest challenges were. She didn't mention the transfer at all for the first two conversations. Luna: So she was doing reconnaissance, not pitching. That's a key distinction. Lucas: Right. And once she understood the team's pain points — they were struggling with how to communicate the value of partnerships internally — she had a natural way to offer help. She volunteered to create a one-pager on partnership ROI for an all-hands meeting. Luna: That's a perfect foot in the door. It's a low-stakes contribution that shows she can add value without asking for anything in return. Lucas: And it got her noticed by the division head. He saw the one-pager, asked who made it, and the peer said, 'Oh, that's Priya from product marketing.' So now, when she eventually did approach the hiring manager about the transfer, it wasn't coming out of nowhere. Luna: I love that. She built a narrative before she ever had to make a formal ask. But what about the VP of strategy? How did she loop them in? Lucas: That was the masterstroke. She knew the VP was presenting at an upcoming town hall about cross-functional collaboration. So she sent a brief email saying she'd been working on a project that touched on the very themes of the talk, and she offered to share her perspective. The VP took her up on it. Luna: So she made herself useful to the most senior person in the room, without seeming like she was angling for anything. That's coalition-building at its finest. Lucas: And it paid off. When the formal transfer request went through, the VP actually sent a note to HR saying, 'This is a great move for the company.' The division head was already on board because of the one-pager. The peer was a vocal supporter. The hiring manager was thrilled. Luna: It almost sounds too neat. Were there any hiccups along the way? Lucas: Of course. Her current manager was initially resistant. That's a common obstacle — you don't want to alienate the person you're leaving. But because she had built a coalition, she could frame the move as a win for both teams: she'd be in a role that let her collaborate more closely with product marketing anyway. Luna: So she turned a potential blocker into an ally. I think that's actually the hidden skill here: it's not just about getting people to support you, it's about making everyone involved feel like they benefit. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the framework I want to leave listeners with today. Before you start the formal transfer process, ask yourself: who are the five people who could either accelerate or block this move? And what can I do to give them a reason to say yes before I ever make the ask? Luna: It's a little bit like political campaigning. You don't announce you're running until you know you have the votes. Lucas: That's exactly right. And it's particularly important in organizations where internal moves are not the norm. If your company doesn't have a well-worn path for transfers, you're essentially creating one — and that requires social capital. Luna: I think a lot of people skip this step because they're so focused on the new role that they forget the politics of the transition itself. They think, 'If I just get the new manager to say yes, that's enough.' Lucas: And that's when you get blindsided. I've seen cases where the new manager says yes, but then the current manager refuses to release them, or a peer in the new team feels threatened and spreads rumors. A coalition insulates you from that. Luna: Speaking of peers — how do you handle coalition-building when you're moving into a team where someone else wanted the same role? That's a delicate situation. Lucas: It is. The key is to not ignore that person. If you know they were also a candidate, reach out and acknowledge the awkwardness. You can say something like, 'I know we were both interested in this role, and I want to make sure we can work together well.' More often than not, they'll appreciate the transparency. Luna: And if they're still bitter? That's a tough coalition to build. Lucas: In that case, you focus on the other stakeholders and make sure your work speaks for itself. But honestly, most internal moves succeed or fail based on the three or four people who matter most. If you've got the VP, the hiring manager, and a key peer on your side, one disgruntled person usually won't derail it. Luna: That's reassuring. I think listeners might worry that coalition-building feels manipulative, like you're playing politics. But what you're describing is really just relationship-building with a purpose. Lucas: And that's a great distinction to make. Manipulation is about getting what you want at someone else's expense. Coalition-building is about creating a situation where everyone sees the move as beneficial — including you. It's actually more honest than just springing a transfer request on people. Luna: Plus, it forces you to be clear about why the move is good for the company, not just for you. If you can't articulate that to your coalition, you probably need to rethink the move. Lucas: Exactly. And on that note — I want to take a quick beat here because this kind of topic is exactly why this show exists. If you've found value in episodes like this, thinking through a career move or decision with us, it really helps if you support the show. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, if you've gotten something out of them. Luna: Yeah, and it's because of listeners like you that we can keep the show ad-free and focused on real, practical advice. So if you've been meaning to chip in, that's the place. Lucas: Alright, back to coalition-building. One more thing I want to emphasize: timing. Priya started building her coalition three months before she made her move. That might sound early, but it gave her room to be patient and let relationships develop naturally. Luna: So if you're thinking about a transfer, the best time to start networking is before you even know the specific role you want. Lucas: Exactly. The generalist approach — getting to know people across the company, contributing to cross-functional projects, being visible — that's the foundation. Then when a specific opportunity arises, you already have a network you can activate. Luna: It's like saving for retirement. The earlier you start, the more compound interest you get. Lucas: Love that analogy. And Priya's case shows it works. She didn't just get the transfer — she got the role slightly redefined to include more of the product marketing collaboration she was good at, because her coalition had advocated for it. The move was better than the original job description. Luna: That's the dream scenario. So to sum up: build your coalition before you ask for the move, start early, focus on giving value first, and make sure your stakeholders see the win for themselves. Lucas: And if you do that, you'll not only get the transfer — you'll have a stronger network on the other side, which makes your first months in the new role that much easier. Luna: I think that's the real takeaway. The coalition you build before the move is the foundation for your success after it. Lucas: Exactly. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.