Latest / The Promotion Memo with Fexingo: Getting Visibility, Sponsors, and Executive Presence / How One Employee Got Promoted by Owning the Quarterly Review Process
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot on this show about owning projects and fixing broken things. But there's a quieter, more structural kind of ownership that often gets overlooked — owning a recurring process. Luna: You mean like being the person who owns the monthly reporting deck, or the quarterly review cadence? Something that just keeps happening every cycle. Lucas: Exactly. And today's story is about Sarah, a mid-level analyst at a regional bank — let's call it roughly $50 billion in assets, not a giant. She was in the corporate strategy group, doing competitive analysis and supporting the head of strategy. Luna: Okay. And how did she get promoted? Lucas: She took ownership of the quarterly business review — the QBR — for her department. Her boss's boss, the VP of strategy, had to present to the executive committee every quarter. It was a mess — five different department heads would submit slides in different formats, different levels of detail, and the VP would spend two nights just reformatting everything. Luna: Right, the classic 'death by formatting' problem. I've been in those meetings where the numbers don't even line up because everyone used a different date range. Lucas: Exactly. So Sarah went to the VP and said, 'What if I build a standardized template, collect the inputs from each department, and produce a consolidated deck for you? You'd get it two days before the meeting, so you can focus on the narrative.' And the VP said yes. Luna: That's a small ask on the surface, but a huge shift in ownership. She's not just helping — she's becoming the process owner. Lucas: That's the key distinction. She didn't say 'can I help you format the slides?' She said 'let me own the entire production process, from template to final deck.' That frames it as a responsibility transfer, not a favor. Luna: And the VP gets a direct benefit — less time on formatting, more time on thinking about what the numbers mean. Lucas: Right. So Sarah built a standardized template in PowerPoint — consistent charts, a KPI dashboard on page one, a section for each department's update, and a final section for strategic risks and opportunities. She also created a data collection spreadsheet that automatically pulled from the bank's reporting system, so department heads could fill in their numbers without emailing messy Excel files. Luna: She automated part of the process. That's smart — it makes her role even more valuable, because without her, the whole thing breaks. Lucas: Exactly. After two quarters, the VP said to her, 'I can't imagine doing this without you.' That's the moment she knew she had become indispensable to that specific process. But she didn't stop there. Luna: What did she do next? Lucas: She added a narrative layer. She started writing a one-page executive summary at the front of the deck — not just bullet points, but a story. 'This quarter, deposit growth slowed because of X, but our commercial lending pipeline is up 12 percent, which should offset in Q3. The risk is that interest rate sensitivity could compress margins if the Fed holds steady.' That kind of thing. Luna: So she's not just presenting data, she's providing analysis and foresight. That's what an executive does. Lucas: And here's the thing — the VP started using her summary verbatim in the executive committee meeting. The CEO and CFO would hear her words, her analysis, even if they didn't know it was hers. But eventually, they did find out. Luna: How? Lucas: The VP gave her credit. In the meeting, when the CEO asked a follow-up question about the risk section, the VP said, 'Sarah, our analyst, put that together — let me have her walk you through the assumptions.' And Sarah had a one-pager ready with the supporting data. Luna: That's a sponsor moment. The VP actively put her in front of the CEO. Lucas: Exactly. And that meeting led to Sarah being asked to present at the next quarterly all-hands — the CEO wanted her to explain the strategic outlook to the broader team. Within eight months of taking over the QBR process, Sarah was promoted to associate director. Luna: Eight months is fast for a regional bank. Usually those promotion cycles are annual, or even longer. Lucas: It was fast. And it happened because she didn't just do the work — she made the work visible to the right people. The QBR was a process that touched the executive committee every quarter. By owning it, she built a regular, recurring spotlight on her value. Luna: I want to talk about the difference between owning a process and owning a project. Because I think a lot of people hear 'own something' and they think of a one-time project — like a product launch or a system migration. But processes recur, and that means recurring visibility. Lucas: That's a great point. A project has a beginning and an end. Once it's done, your visibility fades unless you find the next project. A process — like a monthly report, a quarterly review, an annual planning cycle — keeps going. Every cycle, you have a chance to demonstrate improvement, to add value, to build relationships with the stakeholders who attend. Luna: And you can compound that visibility over time. Sarah's first QBR deck was probably good. Her second was better because she added the narrative. Her third might have included a predictive model or a risk heat map. Each cycle, she could show growth. Lucas: Exactly. And the other thing — owning a process often gives you access to data and decisions that are above your pay grade. Sarah was seeing the executive committee's priorities firsthand, because she was building the deck that drove their conversation. That's an education you can't get from a training program. Luna: So for someone listening who wants to try this — what's the first step? How do you find a process to own without seeming like you're taking over someone else's job? Lucas: The first step is to find a recurring pain point. A meeting where the organizer always seems stressed. A report that's always late or always full of errors. A process that everyone complains about but nobody has time to fix. Then you go to the person who owns it and say, 'I have an idea to make this better — can I try it for the next cycle?' Luna: And be specific about the improvement. Not 'I'll help you with the report' but 'I'll build a template that pulls data from Salesforce automatically, so we cut the prep time in half.' Lucas: Right. And if they say yes, you set a boundary. You say, 'I'll take over the production from start to finish. I'll send you a final version two days before the deadline for your review.' That makes you the owner, not just a helper. Luna: What about the risk of stepping on toes? What if someone else feels like you're taking their process? Lucas: That's real. You want to avoid saying 'your process is broken.' Instead, say 'I've noticed you're spending a lot of time on the formatting — I'd love to take that off your plate so you can focus on analysis.' Frame it as a gift of time, not a criticism. Luna: And if they still resist? Lucas: Then you find another process. Not every opportunity is going to be available. But there are usually multiple recurring pain points in any organization — the key is to pick one that's visible to senior leaders. Luna: Speaking of visible — there's something else about Sarah's story that I think is important. She didn't just own the process; she improved it iteratively. Each quarter, she added something new. That signals growth mindset, not just reliability. Lucas: Absolutely. The first quarter, she delivered the template. The second quarter, she added the narrative summary. The third quarter, she built a risk heat map. By the fourth quarter, she was presenting directly to the executive committee. Each iteration built on the last, and each iteration increased her value. Luna: So it's not just about taking ownership once — it's about continuously expanding the scope of that ownership. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what led to her promotion. She didn't just make the QBR better; she became the person who could think strategically about the business. The VP said in her promotion packet, 'Sarah has transformed our quarterly review from a compliance exercise into a strategic planning tool.' That's a powerful line. Luna: It's also a line that the VP could only write because Sarah gave him the material. She made him look good, which made him want to promote her. Lucas: That's the sponsorship loop. You make your boss's boss look good, and they become invested in your success. Sarah's VP didn't just write a letter — he actively advocated for her in the promotion committee. Luna: And that's the thing — if you're listening and you've been doing good work but not getting noticed, it might be because you're owning projects that end. Consider finding a recurring process that touches senior leaders. It's a lower-risk, higher-visibility path. Lucas: If we've helped you think through a career move like this, or if these stories have given you a concrete idea to try — you know, these episodes take time to research and write. And if you've gotten value from them, one way to keep them coming is to support the show. Luna: Yeah, it's the kind of thing where a couple of dollars a month genuinely makes a difference. It keeps us ad-free and independent. Lucas: Exactly. If that feels right for you, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, no perks — just knowing the show is sustainable. Luna: And we appreciate every single person who does. Now — back to Sarah. One thing I want to ask: how did she handle the transition when she got promoted? Did she hand off the QBR process? Lucas: Great question. She did. Part of her promotion plan included training a junior analyst to take over the QBR production. That actually reinforced her promotion case — it showed she could build systems that outlast her. Luna: So she didn't just own it; she institutionalized it. That's a leadership move. Lucas: Exactly. She documented the process, created a runbook, and trained the new person over two cycles. By the time she moved into her new role, the QBR ran smoothly without her. That's the ultimate sign of process ownership: you can leave, and it still works. Luna: And that also freed her up to find a new process to own in her new role. Lucas: Right. She told me later that she did the same thing in her associate director role — she found the quarterly risk review process and owned it. That led to another promotion eighteen months later. Luna: So it's a repeatable pattern. Find a recurring process, own it, improve it, make it visible, and then hand it off when you level up. Lucas: That's the playbook. And it works because processes are predictable. You don't have to wait for a project to come along — you can create your own opportunity around something that already exists. Luna: I think that's the most actionable takeaway from today. Don't wait for a big project. Look at the calendar. What happens every month or every quarter that's currently a pain point? That's your promotion opportunity. Lucas: Agreed. And on that note, we'll be back with another story next week. Thanks for listening.