You might use the less-successful career development strategies below when focused on surviving the day-to-day demands of your current role. We’ve all at one point or another succumbed to these default-mode approaches. Recognize any of these?

1. Not understanding how the talent management system in your company works overall – what it is, who is involved, and who is well regarded
2. Not knowing what factors are considered high potential and not using those to inform your development plan
3. Presuming you know what skills and experiences you’ll want or need later or in what direction your career will go
4. Not continuously and actively working on growing capacity and capabilities
5. Failing to intentionally build a portfolio of leadership skills and experiences early in your career when you have more leeway and less pressure to get it perfect
6. Not letting key leaders know what you’re up to and expecting them to discover it
7. Not investing a little at a time to build long...

When I think about the executives I interviewed to learn more about the promotion and talent processes from their vantage point, one quote sticks out for me.

“Do not assume you’re doing a good job—find out whoever makes the decision about promotion and what they’re looking for – if it’s a panel decision – make sure you know who they are - make it easy for them—can’t be oblivious to how decisions are made and how to influence decision – must ask for it”

So he’s really suggesting three actions, and they all include playing a more active role than you might have thought – understand how talent decisions are made in your organization and who is involved in making them, find out how you’re perceived with regard to those criteria, and showcase to the decision makers great examples of how you are aligned to make it easy for them to weigh in in your favor. Another exec said something similar.

“Solicit...