Latest / The Promotion Memo with Fexingo: Getting Visibility, Sponsors, and Executive Presence / How One Employee Got Promoted by Asking for Feedback
Transcript
- Lucas: So here's a question we get a lot: 'I do good work, but nobody seems to notice. How do I get visibility without being obnoxious?' And the standard advice is always network, speak up in meetings, volunteer for projects. But today's story is about a much simpler tactic that sounds almost too obvious — asking for feedback. Luna: Yeah, but 'asking for feedback' is one of those things everyone says you should do, but nobody actually does well. Most people either never ask, or they ask in a way that gets them nothing useful. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why this case is interesting. A mid-level marketer at a mid-sized tech company — we'll call her Priya — had been passed over for promotion twice. She was hitting her metrics, her manager said she was doing fine. But 'fine' wasn't getting her anywhere. Luna: Right, fine is the kiss of death in performance reviews. Lucas: So she decided to try something different. Instead of waiting for her annual review, she started scheduling monthly feedback sessions — not just with her direct manager, but with her skip-level manager and three peers in adjacent teams. And she made it a formal request: 'Can I have 20 minutes for some specific feedback on my recent work?' Luna: I love that she included peers. Most people only ask their boss, but peers see things your manager never does. Lucas: And the skip-level is key too because that's the person who has a broader view of what the department needs. Anyway, within three months, a pattern emerged. Multiple people told her that her presentation style was too detail-heavy — she would bury the key insight in slides full of data. Her skip-level said, 'I know you're smart, but in our 30-minute meetings, I need the punchline in the first two minutes.' Luna: Ouch. But that's gold. She never would have heard that in a normal review because it's not a performance issue per se, it's a communication style thing. Lucas: Right. And she was able to act on it immediately. She restructured her decks, started leading with the bottom line. And six months later, a senior role opened up unexpectedly — her manager's manager was impressed enough by her improved clarity that she got the nod. The feedback loop directly led to the promotion. Luna: And I bet the fact that she was proactively asking for feedback also signaled something to leadership — it showed she was serious about growing, not just coasting. Lucas: That's the hidden benefit. Executive presence is partly about self-awareness and willingness to improve. Asking for feedback demonstrates that. It's counterintuitive — people worry it makes them look insecure, but done right, it actually makes you look confident and coachable. Luna: Before we dive deeper into the how-to, I want to mention something quick. This show stays ad-free and listener-supported — a handful of folks chip in monthly at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's what keeps episodes like this coming. Lucas: Yeah, if you've gotten value from any of these promotion stories, that's the thing that keeps it going. No pressure, just — it's how we keep the lights on without interrupting you with ads. Luna: Alright, back to Priya. So the feedback she got was specific and actionable. What's the right way to ask so you actually get that kind of response? Lucas: That's the crux. Most people ask, 'Do you have any feedback for me?' which is way too open-ended. You get vague platitudes like 'You're doing great.' Instead, you want to anchor the request on a specific project or behavior. Say, 'On the Q3 forecast deck I presented last week, what's one thing I could have done to make it more useful for the exec team?' Luna: That forces them to think about something concrete. And if they still waffle, you can follow up with, 'Is there anything I should start doing, stop doing, or continue doing?' Lucas: That's a classic framework — start, stop, continue. Another good one is to ask, 'What's one thing that, if I improved, would have the biggest impact on my effectiveness?' That gets them prioritizing for you. And you want to ask people you trust and people who see you in different contexts — like a peer who's in meetings with you, a junior teammate, a senior leader. Luna: And what about the follow-up? You get this feedback, but then you have to actually do something with it and let people know you acted. Lucas: Crucial. Priya didn't just fix her presentations and hope someone noticed. She sent a quick follow-up to the people who gave her feedback — 'Thanks, I took your advice and led with the key insight in the last review meeting. It seemed to land better.' That closes the loop and reinforces that you're serious. It also makes people more willing to give you feedback again. Luna: So in a way, you're building your own visibility network through these feedback conversations. Each person you ask becomes an informal sponsor who's invested in your growth. Lucas: Exactly. And the best part is, this works at any level. I've seen junior analysts do this and get noticed by VPs. It's low-risk compared to, say, volunteering to lead a high-stakes project. You can start tomorrow. Just pick one person and ask one specific question. Luna: But some people might worry that asking for feedback too often could be annoying. Where's the line? Lucas: Monthly is plenty. And don't ask the same person every time — rotate. You want a diversity of perspectives. Also, time it after you've delivered something — a presentation, a report, a completed milestone. That gives them something fresh to react to. Luna: And if you get negative feedback, how do you handle it without getting defensive? Because that can undo all the goodwill. Lucas: The key is to listen fully, thank them, and say you'll reflect on it. Don't explain or justify in the moment. If you need clarification, ask a neutral question like 'Can you give me an example?' That shows you're open. Then actually reflect, and if you decide to act, let them know later. If you don't act, that's fine too — but you owe it to yourself to consider it seriously. Luna: And one more thing: if you're in a toxic culture where feedback is weaponized, this approach might backfire. But for most reasonable workplaces, it's a solid strategy. Lucas: Fair point. You have to gauge your environment. But in a healthy culture, asking for feedback is one of the most effective ways to get promoted without playing political games. Priya's story is proof. Luna: So to sum up: pick a specific project, ask a specific question, close the loop, and repeat. It's simple, but not easy. Lucas: And if you want help thinking through who to ask or what to ask, that's exactly the kind of thing our listeners talk about in the comments. We're here to help. Luna: Yeah, and if you've got your own promotion story, we'd love to hear it. Could be the next episode. Lucas: Alright, that's it for today. Until next time, keep asking the questions that move you forward.