Latest news with #JennyWood
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
5 surprising reasons you're not getting promoted — and how to fix them
Getting promoted isn't always just about working hard; sometimes, it's about putting your effort in the right direction. Even high-performing employees can unknowingly sabotage their progress and end up overlooked when it comes time for a promotion. From simply meeting expectations to overlooking key relationships, minor missteps can quietly stall your career growth. Here are five common mistakes to avoid at work — plus practical tips on how to get promoted. Showing up to one-on-ones unprepared Preparing for one-on-one meetings in advance is key, according to Jenny Wood, a former Google executive and the author of 'Wild Courage.' If you treat your weekly one-on-ones like a casual check-in instead of a strategic career-building moment, you're missing a valuable opportunity to shape your career trajectory. Reflecting on her own experience managing employees, Wood says, 'There were senior leaders who came with nothing, and those were not the people who got promoted.' She recommends coming to the meeting with a simple half-page document that outlines your key metrics, recent wins, roadblocks and career goals. Those bullets can include showcasing positive customer feedback or highlighting a spreadsheet you're currently working on. For Wood, this demonstrates a level of proactiveness that is far superior to arriving without notes and no preparation. Similarly, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recommends that employees structure an individual development plan (IDP) to allow supervisors to clarify performance expectations. 'IDPs should be viewed as a partnership between an employee and their supervisor, and involves preparation and continuous feedback,' according to the OPM. Spending all your time on 'nap work' instead of promotable work Not all work gets you noticed. Replying to a happy birthday email, volunteering to take meeting notes or arranging dinner when senior leadership is in town can make you appear helpful, but rarely move the needle when it comes to promotion. Tasks that are nice but not impactful are what Wood describes as 'nap work' — short for 'not actually promotable.' 'Some people think of this as glue work or invisible work,' Wood explains. 'It's nice for culture. It's good to do some of it, but no more than 10%. If you're doing more than 10% nap work, you're doing yourself a big disservice. Nobody in the history of the internet has ever gotten promoted for being ultra-responsive to email.' Instead, you want to say yes to the big and no to the small in your career. That could include taking on a high-impact marketing project that's a top priority for your VP or leading an initiative that boosts customer satisfaction by 12% year over year. These are the kinds of contributions that get noticed — and promoted. Building a relationship with just your boss People beyond your manager often make decisions regarding promotions. The last thing you want is for your boss to advocate for your promotion and for all the other decision-makers to respond, "Who?" Wood advocates for building relationships with your manager's boss and those who sit to the right and left of your boss on the organizational chart. It's what she calls "managing higher" and "managing diagonally." 'Think about who has the most influence, who has the big boss's ear, who is the most reputable and credible and who you want to spend time with,' Wood says. To build these relationships, you can offer to present at their team meeting, mentor someone on their team or ask for feedback on a major project. You can also add value by sharing a helpful podcast, book or article. Even if you're early in your career, you still have something to contribute. One caveat: Wood warns against trying to befriend these influencers right before promotions are decided. 'It looks disingenuous,' she explains. 'Start early — ideally a year in advance — and focus on building genuine relationships with two or three leaders.' Expecting a promotion for doing your job 'Don't chase a promotion six months into a gig — unless, of course, you've invented a new antibiotic,' says Wood. In other words, don't expect a promotion too early or for meeting the expectations of your current role. 'You get your paycheck for doing your job. You get promoted for showing you're capable of doing your job at the next higher level with greater scope,' she says. Draining your team's energy Being great at your job isn't just about getting results; it's also about how you show up. If you show up to work frustrated, short-tempered or constantly negative, it won't serve you, especially when promotion decisions are on the table. 'You have to ask yourself, 'Are you a radiator or are you a drain?'' Wood says. A radiator is someone who radiates positive energy, and a drain is someone who depletes it. 'Why would a manager promote somebody and have them continue to climb the ladder if they're the kind of person who doesn't inspire and motivate others?' Final takeaway Getting promoted isn't just doing what you have to do; it's about showing up with intention, building the right relationships and operating at the next level before you're officially there. By avoiding these common missteps and taking a proactive approach to your growth, you'll not only increase your chances of being promoted, but you'll also stand out as someone truly ready for it.
CNBC
16-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Jenny Wood
Jenny Wood is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, former Google executive, and former Harvard Business School researcher. Her goal is to empower ambitious people to break the mold, be better leaders, build influence, and reach their full potential. In her new book "Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It," Jenny breaks down nine bold traits that defy conventional career advice. Jenny is the founder of Own Your Career, one of Google's largest career programs. She has been featured in NBC, Bloomberg, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Business Insider. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and two children and is in constant pursuit of the perfect zucchini bread recipe.
Forbes
07-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Do Your Goals Seem Elusive? Try Wild Courage
. Pixabay You've no doubt heard many of the popular self-actualization quotes: 'If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough.' 'Replace fear of the unknown with curiosity.' 'It's not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it's because we do not dare that things are difficult.' 'A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.' Courage is an unspoken theme in all those sentiments. Interested in stretching your wings and flying to new heights? Jenny Wood offers a master class in WILD COURAGE: Go After What You Want and Get It . She's a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, former Google executive, and former Harvard Business School researcher who says 'real success isn't about following the rules or waiting your turn.' So, how does she define wild courage? 'Think about something you want,' she says. 'It could be a job, a relationship, a project. Then think about what gets between you and achieving that goal.' Jenny Wood . In training thousands of people on success, leadership, and influence, Wood says the same theme kept coming up when people felt stuck: their relationships to fear. Fear of failure. Fear of uncertainty. Fear of judgment of others. 'Wild courage is the process of feeling that fear and taking action anyway,' she says. 'It's the set of tools that help you go after what you want and get it.' Woods says wild courage helps people 'reclaim nine traits from their negative shackles' and teaches them how to apply those traits in a savvy and sane way to supercharge their success. Weird: Win as you or lose as 'who?' Selfish: Be your own champion. Shameless: Kick imposter syndrome to the curb and self-promote with ease. Obsessed: Push, persist, and perform at your highest level. Nosy: Get curious to network confidently and learn from others. Manipulative: Build influence with empathy and manage up like a pro. Brutal: Draw lines and stick to them. Embrace the power of no. Reckless: Err on the side of action and take healthy risks. Bossy: Steer others to success, even if you're not in charge yet. What's going on in our society these days that makes the need for courage such a hot topic? 'Given the rapid transformations we're all experiencing—politically, economically, and with AI—there's more fear than ever,' Wood says. 'But that's actually great news because fear is in your control. Fear, you can work with. Muster the wild courage to chase what you want in life, and you'll discover a vital truth: whether you succeed or fail at doing any one thing, you'll never feel as purposeful, powerful, and alive as when you're pushing through fear toward the success and joy on the other side. Everything you've ever wanted is waiting for you on the other side of fear. It's right there waiting for you.' The WINN Mindset Wood talks about what she calls the What I Need Now (WINN) mindset and how it can help a person with career navigation. 'Align yesterday's ambitions with today's circumstances,' she advises. 'Just as your long-term vision informs your day-to-day decision-making, your day-to-day experiences should shape your vision. Changing course often feels selfish because your plans inevitably involve other people. However, everyone's needs and desires change over time. What you wanted may no longer resonate.' As a strategy, she says, WINN means continuously coordinating your short-term experience with your long-term vision. She provides an example: Last year, you did the laundry. This year, your partner's firm went fully work from home while you're still commuting five days a week. WINN: renegotiate the split of household chores. You said no to a third date. Four months later, you're wondering if you made the wrong call. WINN: call them and book date number three if they're still open. Two years ago, you set your heart on becoming a manager. After a short stint to cover a leave, you've decided management isn't for you. WINN: find another ladder to climb. . . Wood says she is saddened when smart, talented people don't advance because they hold themselves back. She cites a study from the University of Leeds showing that 75% of employees lack confidence at work. 'People limit their full potential when they're too scared to ask for the promotion, too nervous to stand out, and mostly, too hesitant to identify and share their strengths with leaders in their organization. Being 'shameless' begins with owning your strengths.' Shameless begins with owning your strengths, she says. 'Embrace and highlight what you can offer. Ask yourself: What's a struggle for others but easy for me? What am I passionate about? Where have I made the greatest impact? If these questions bring up negative self-talk, flip those defeatist thoughts on their head. No experience? I bring a fresh perspective. Don't know the internal politics yet? I have an unbiased view of the players. Every weakness is a strength from a different perspective. It's on you to figure out how to leverage everything you've got.' NAP Traps On the job, how can people avoid NAP (not actually promotable) work without seeming uncooperative? 'NAP work is made of up of tasks that aren't part of your job description and won't advance your career,' Wood says. 'Aim to limit them to 15% of your time at work. Examples: taking notes in the meeting, organizing the offsite, planning the team dinner, scheduling a VP's day in your office location, leading the well-being pillar, and so on. Wood suggests reviewing your tasks and writing down everything you've been asked to do that isn't explicitly a part of your job description. 'Moving forward, add to that list of NAP traps whenever you're given a task that needs doing but not necessarily by you . Keep this list where you will see it when deciding priorities.' To politely decline these tasks without seeming uncooperative, she advises, 'point to more strategic, higher-profile work you have on your plate: increasing customer satisfaction by 12% or leading the AI integration plan for your division.' . . How does Wood help people stop worrying about what others think of them? 'As mentioned earlier, my biggest blockers are three fears: fear of uncertainty, fear of failure, and fear of judgment of others,' she says. 'In my 18-years at Google, I battled these daily. There was the fear I wouldn't impress my boss in our weekly one-on-one. Fear that I would say something stupid in that big meeting full of VIPs. Fear no one would ever forget the presentation I flubbed. Cool and collected Google exec on the outside, a lot more going on on the inside.' What finally helped her push past the fear was naming it in the moment and remembering the 'Spotlight Effect'—the idea that no one was lying awake at night thinking about her mistakes because they were too busy worrying about their own. 'The truth is,' she says, 'everyone's got their own spotlight on their head. Name which of the three fears you feel, remember the Spotlight Effect, and you will push past the fear to the joy and success on the other side.
