Editorial
As the year draws to a close, we find ourselves in the thick of performance review and budgeting season. From promotions to salary increases and budget allocations, it’s the time of year when key investment and people decisions are made. Only this season arrives on the heels of numerous layoffs, and capital efficiency continues to be top-of-mind for CEOs and investors, making self-advocacy a crucial strategy to set yourself up for success in 2025 and beyond.
While delivering great work is essential, too many leaders make the mistake of relying solely on their output alone to make a statement. Your work doesn’t speak for itself — it’s not a Picasso. Producing great work is merely the price of admission. Relationships, visibility and advocacy propel careers forward. Leaders must ensure both their work (the value they create) and their values (how they get things done) are recognized, especially when they aren’t in the room. To do this effectively, they need advocates who understand and appreciate their contributions and can speak on their behalf.
The Power of Relationships
Networking and relationships are the lynchpin of a successful career. A robust internal and external advocacy network can significantly accelerate career progression. In fact, the higher you rise in your career, the more important relationships become. While it may seem unfair, the uncomfortable truth is that many business decisions — including promotions, budget approvals and layoffs – are influenced by “who you know,” not just “what you do.” This reality can be particularly jarring for first-time executives who must come to terms with a paradigm shift: the work ethic and dedication that propelled their early career success no longer suffices at this level. Instead, their influence and social capital increasingly depend on the relationships and trust they build with key stakeholders.
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Understand the Decision-Making Processes
The first step in mastering the art of advocating for yourself is mapping your organization’s decision-making processes. Who holds sway over resource allocations and strategic decisions? Who are the key influencers, and who makes the final call? Knowing these answers can help you target advocacy efforts more precisely. For instance, if you’re seeking a budget increase for your department, the CFO might be the final decision-maker. If you’re lobbying for a compensation bump for someone on your team, it’s valuable to know if the CHRO’s endorsement will make a difference.
Politics needn’t be a dirty word; in fact, understanding the political landscape of your organization can arm you with the knowledge of formal and informal rules that govern decision-making. Every company has key players, both visible and behind the scenes, who control decisions and resources, and have the CEO’s or Board’s ear. To advocate effectively, you must understand both the official decision-makers and the less obvious influencers whose counsel is regularly sought by senior leaders. By recognizing these dynamics, you can craft a strategy that resonates with the right people at the right time and accounts for your organization’s unique power structure.
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The Meeting Before the Meeting
Picture this: You’ve just been appointed to your first C-Suite role, and the CEO asks you to develop a transformation plan for your function and present it at the next executive offsite. You prepare a robust plan, backed by data-driven insights and deliver your proposal. Despite your best efforts, however, the plan meets with intense resistance from your peers, leaving you deflated. What went wrong?
You likely missed a critical step: the “meeting before the meeting.” The most astute leaders know that in many organizations, significant decisions aren’t made in large forums — they’re pre-determined beforehand in smaller, informal discussions. Before any major presentation, “socialize” your proposals with relevant stakeholders; meet with peers one-on-one to proactively seek feedback and let them poke holes in your ideas. This approach allows you to respond to objections, refine your plan and build buy-in along the way. By the time you present to the broader group, you’ll have advocates in the room ready to support you. Moreover, acknowledging colleagues’ input (e.g., “Bob’s insights on customer experience helped shape this proposal”) not only strengthens your presentation but also fosters a sense of shared ownership and support.
This strategy is equally important when preparing for board meetings. Major decisions are often vetted and pre-approved in informal discussions and smaller committee meetings; board meetings simply serve as the formal setting where the official ratification takes place. From board meetings to team meetings, understanding and artfully implementing the “meeting before the meeting” approach can drastically improve your chances of shaping the outcomes you desire.
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Where Advocacy Strategies Can Help
These advocacy strategies are universally beneficial, but they are particularly impactful in the following situations:
Advocating for Promotions
If you’re making the case for a promotion — whether for yourself or a team member — it’s essential to understand the grid on which your organization grades excellence. What criteria are used to assess candidates? Who participates in these discussions and when do they occur? Promotions are often competitive, and the best way to strengthen your case is to build a trail of evidence throughout the year. Rather than waiting until review season, proactively showcase your and your team’s achievements to relevant stakeholders at team meetings, company-wide gatherings and even board presentations when appropriate.
Effective advocacy also involves managing up. Keep your direct manager informed about your progress, equipping them with the insights they need to advocate for you in promotion discussions. Furthermore, encourage your team to adopt these principles. One of the most valuable skills you can teach them is the art of self-advocacy.
Securing Resources and Budget
When advocating for resources — whether that’s additional headcount, new technology or budget allocation — align your requests with the company’s broader strategic goals. A compelling business case that supports the organization’s top priorities has a far greater chance of getting approved.
Keep in mind that you’re often competing with other leaders and teams for a fixed pool of resources, so be prepared to navigate a zero-sum game. Stephen Covey’s “think win-win” and “synergize” principles can be tremendously helpful when you find yourself in a competitive culture and want to increase the size of the proverbial pie. By fostering a mindset of collaboration, not competition, you can design solutions that benefit multiple parties, thereby showcasing your creative problem-solving prowess and increasing your likelihood of success.
Navigating Layoffs and Restructuring
Given the unfortunate reality of rampant layoffs, advocacy can be a helpful tool in mitigating job loss risk for yourself and your team. You want senior leaders to think twice about putting your name or your team members’ names on a layoff list. Developing and nurturing strong relationships across all levels of the organization can help protect your team during difficult times. This includes curating deliberate moments of executive exposure for team members whenever possible. While no strategy is foolproof, building a strong case for why your team is essential to the organization’s success can allow senior leaders to witness their value firsthand. This requires ongoing relationship-building, not just when times get tough.
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Advocacy Is a Continuous Process
Advocacy extends beyond performance reviews and annual budget discussions; it’s an ongoing process that requires sustained effort. Building deep relationships at all levels, understanding organizational decision-making, and mastering the art of the “meeting before the meeting” are essential elements of successful advocacy efforts.
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In an increasingly competitive business environment, hoping that your work will speak for itself can be a recipe for career stagnation. Delivering great work is simply table stakes. To achieve your career goals, you must become your own best advocate — and teach your team to do the same. With the right advocacy strategies in place, you can ensure your contributions, and those of your team, receive the recognition and rewards they deserve.
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