What's the difference between being good at your job and being ready for a promotion?

Being good at your current job is necessary but not sufficient for promotion. Promotions reward demonstration that you're already operating at the next level — not that you deserve the chance to try. This means your results are clearly above baseline (Performance), the right people know it (Visibility), you've shown you can lead and influence without authority (Leadership), and you have advocates who will champion you in the room when decisions are made (Relationships). Strong performance alone moves you maybe 3 of these 6 dimensions.

How important is timing really?

Very — and it's the most often ignored factor. A strong promotion case presented at the wrong time (budget freeze, headcount reduction, your manager just got a new boss, the company is in a restructuring) can actively damage your chances by making you seem unaware of context. Timing is weighted at 10% in the calculator — lower than the core readiness factors — but a very low timing score can shift the recommendation from Go to Wait regardless of how strong the other dimensions are.

What is a sponsor vs a mentor vs a manager?

A mentor advises you. A manager assesses you. A sponsor advocates for you when you're not in the room — they put their own reputation on the line to advance your career. Promotions are often decided in conversations you can't attend. Having sponsors (senior people who will actively argue for you in those conversations) is the single most underrated promotion factor. The Relationships dimension specifically measures whether you have sponsors, not just good manager relationships.

My score is below 60 — what should I do first?

Look at your dimension breakdown and identify the two lowest-scoring dimensions. In almost every case, addressing the lowest two dimensions has more impact than marginal improvements across all six. The calculator's action plan identifies your highest-gap dimensions and gives specific tactics for each. Generally: if Visibility is low, increase your surface area (present to leadership, write summaries of your work, ask to be included in cross-functional meetings). If Leadership is low, proactively take on a project that requires influencing people who don't report to you.

How long should I prepare before asking?

For a Prepare recommendation with a score of 55–69: typically 3–6 months of deliberate work on the identified gaps, then reassess. For a score below 55: 6–12 months. For a Wait recommendation driven by timing: monitor the specific timing factors (budget cycles, headcount, manager stability) and reassess quarterly. Don't wait passively — use the time to build the dimensions you can control.

🚀Growth & Career

Promotion Readiness Score — Should You Ask for a Promotion Right Now?

Are you ready for a promotion — or just due for one?

What This Does

Most people who get passed over for promotions weren't unqualified — they were unprepared in a specific, addressable way. Maybe their performance was strong but their visibility was low. Maybe they had the skills but hadn't demonstrated leadership. Maybe the timing was wrong. The problem is rarely "you're not good enough" — it's usually "you're not ready in this specific dimension, and you don't know which one." The Promotion Readiness Score measures your readiness across six dimensions that actually drive promotion decisions: Performance (are your results clearly above baseline?), Visibility (do the right people see and understand your contributions?), Leadership (have you demonstrated you can operate at the next level?), Skills (do you have the technical and soft skills the next role requires?), Relationships (do you have sponsors, not just managers who like you?), and Timing (is this a good moment organizationally — budget cycles, open headcount, your manager's own trajectory?). The result is a weighted score, a dimension-by-dimension profile, and a specific Go / Prepare / Wait recommendation based on where your gaps actually are. If the recommendation is Prepare or Wait, the calculator tells you exactly which dimension to close first.

Assumptions

·6-dimension weighted model: Performance 25%, Skills 20%, Visibility 20%, Leadership 15%, Relationships 10%, Timing 10%
·Score ≥75: Go. Score 60–74: Go with preparation. Score 45–59: Prepare first. Score <45: Wait.
·Answers should reflect current reality, not aspirations

When Should You Use This?

→You are considering asking for a promotion in the next 3–6 months
→You were passed over for a promotion and want to understand what to fix
→You want an honest audit of where you stand before having the promotion conversation
→You are in a new role and want to benchmark how quickly you're progressing toward the next level
→Your manager gave vague feedback and you want to structure your own readiness assessment

Example Scenario

Marcus is a senior software engineer at a mid-size tech company. He's been in role for 18 months, his performance reviews are strong, and he's confident he does the work of a staff engineer. He runs the calculator: Performance 78 (strong), Skills 72 (solid), but Visibility 42 (his contributions aren't well known outside his team), Leadership 38 (he hasn't taken any cross-team initiatives), and Relationships 35 (his manager likes him but he has no executive sponsors). Score: 56/100 — Prepare. The recommendation: Visibility and Leadership are blocking him. Fix those first before asking.

📈 Promotion Readiness Score

Are You Actually Ready for a Promotion?

16 questions across 6 weighted dimensions. Get your score, your gaps, and a prioritized action plan.

Answer honestly: Based on your current reality, not what you're working toward. Inflated scores only delay useful feedback.

📈

Performance(25% weight)

My last performance review rated me above expectations or equivalent for my level

Not at allClearly / Strongly

I can point to 3+ specific, quantifiable results I delivered in the last 12 months

Not at allClearly / Strongly

My manager regularly uses my work as an example to others on the team

Not at allClearly / Strongly

🛠️

Skills(20% weight)

I regularly do work that is typically done at the next level above me

Not at allClearly / Strongly

I have received positive feedback on the soft skills required at the next level (communication, stakeholder management, strategic thinking)

Not at allClearly / Strongly

If I were placed in the next-level role tomorrow, I could handle 75%+ of it without significant ramp time

Not at allClearly / Strongly

👁️

Visibility(20% weight)

People two or more levels above me know who I am and what I work on

Not at allClearly / Strongly

I have presented work, shared updates, or contributed visibly in cross-functional or leadership settings in the last 6 months

Not at allClearly / Strongly

When my contributions come up in conversation, others outside my direct team can describe what I do

Not at allClearly / Strongly

🧭

Leadership(15% weight)

I have led or co-led a significant project or initiative in the last 12 months that involved people I don't manage

Not at allClearly / Strongly

I proactively identify and address problems before my manager or others ask me to

Not at allClearly / Strongly

Others on my team come to me for guidance, input, or mentorship

Not at allClearly / Strongly

🤝

Relationships(10% weight)

I have at least one senior person (above my manager) who I believe would speak positively on my behalf in a promotion discussion

Not at allClearly / Strongly

I have had explicit conversations about my promotion goals with my manager and have received specific, actionable feedback

Not at allClearly / Strongly

⏱️

Timing(10% weight)

My company or team currently has budget and headcount to support a promotion at my target level

Not at allClearly / Strongly

My manager is stable (not new, not leaving, not in a restructuring) and able to champion my case

Not at allClearly / Strongly

Scores auto-update as you answer. Answer based on current reality, not aspirations.

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Are You Actually Ready for a Promotion?

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