To succeed in a new role, or to up level your game to get that next promotion, one of the quickest routes to success is to understand what your manager needs from you and who you need to impress. Then put your focus on making that happen. Make their lives easier and they will see you as indispensable. 

It sounds so easy as written, and a no brainer. But when you don’t click with your boss, it can be hard to execute on. But stay focused and it works most of the time.

When I have a great boss, figuring out what they need and how to make it happen is easy. We speak comfortably and easily, so asking or seeing by observing is easy. When my boss isn’t a perfect fit, following the advice of some of the great product leaders out there helps. You need more of a check list:

1. Know what (and who) stresses your manager

   • Ask what is important.

   • In a data-driven company, sense check what they say against what goals/metrics they need to move to get promoted.

2. Focus on shared alignment

   • Work with your manager to get clarity on what ‘proof of life’ they need

   • Focus on outcomes that prove you are supporting their needs

3. Get visibility

   • Ask or volunteer to present

   • If your manager knows you have their back, they will voluntarily look to provide you visibility naturally.

   • Help them help you will weekly updates in a written form that they can easily copy and past.

From some well known leaders:

From Ravi Mehta

1. Identify what the top priorities are for your manager and team

• Ask your manager what is top of mind for them and why the project they’re focusing on is so important for the team or business. The more clear you are on the context, the better equipped you’ll be to brainstorm how you can contribute.

2. Find a way to align your work with these priorities

• Brainstorm with your manager on how your efforts can directly support these top priorities. If you’re putting in hard work on projects that aren’t moving the needle for the business, it may be hard for your manager to make a case for your promotion. If you’re directly contributing to an important project for the business AND doing it in a way that shows you’re able to operate at an even higher level, it makes the case for a promotion much easier.

3. Get visibility by building relationships and sharing your work

• Work with your manager to communicate the impact and importance of what you’ve worked on, and why it matters in the broader scope of the business. Make sure you’re working closely with key stakeholders and people who have influence over the project so they feel like they’re brought along in the process and have an opportunity to contribute their opinions.

From Deb Liu:

Avoid the Pitfalls of Taking on a New Role: Be aware of your surroundings in new situations to avoid traps. LIke: Blaming the previous admin, Fix-It Syndrome, Prescriptive rather than Curious, Misunderstanding Context and Problems over Opportunities.

Making the First 90 Days Count: A Simple 30-60-90 Day Plan that helps you get on the right footing for your new job. Deb covers: Priorities, Learnings, Performance and Personal Issues. For Learnings, Performance and Personal she recommends a set of goals and outputs for 30, 60 and 90 day periods. I have leveraged a similar framework to help others plan.

PM Your Career Like You PM Your Product: Do for your career what you already do for your product:

• What problem are you trying to solve?

• Who will help you get there?

• What does the endstate look like? (PR/FAQ for you Amazonians)

• How will you get there?

• How are you measuring success?