Career Speedrun - MAC109
Managing A Career
Welcome back to Managing A Career, the podcast that helps you put yourself on the fast track for promotion. I’m your host, Layne Robinson. Today’s episode is all about a concept I’m calling the Career Speedrun. If you’re into gaming, you probably know what a speedrun is: it’s when players try to beat an entire game as fast as possible, skipping unnecessary parts, using shortcuts, and optimizing every move. Now, when it comes to your career, you can’t literally warp-jump from your first job straight to the corner office—but you can learn to recognize what slows...
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Early Promotion to Career Success - MAC108
Managing A Career
Reframing the Premature Promotion Back in , I tackled the tricky terrain of getting promoted too soon—when the title lands before the readiness does. That episode unpacked the complications that can follow a premature promotion: skill gaps, team tension, imposter syndrome, and even layoff risk. This week, I’m flipping the script. Instead of focusing on the pitfalls, let’s talk about how to turn that early promotion into a strategic advantage. Because if you play it right, what starts as a stumble can become your fastest leap forward. The Risks Beneath the Ribbon-Cutting ...
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Career Stagnation - MAC107
Managing A Career
Has your career quietly veered off course—not with a dramatic crash, but with a slow, almost imperceptible drift? One missed opportunity. One unchallenging role. One “maybe next year” that turned into five. Then one day, you look up and realize you’re nowhere near where you thought you’d be. Here’s the good news: every detour has a reentry point. You won’t fix it overnight, but you can start with one small, intentional correction. And that shift—however minor—is how momentum begins. How Did We Get Here? Before we talk solutions, let’s rewind. Career drift...
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Non-Verbal Communication - MAC106
Managing A Career
In last week’s podcast episode of the podcast, Episode 105 – Communication Etiquette (), I talked about how seemingly small, everyday actions can shape how others perceive you at work. While these habits may not directly earn you a promotion, they quietly build your reputation with the very people who influence those decisions. This week, I want to take that conversation further by focusing on something even more subtle but just as powerful: non-verbal communication cues. Why Non-Verbal Communication Matters Whether you’re in a casual hallway conversation, presenting in a...
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Communication Etiquette - MAC105
Managing A Career
On other episodes of the Managing A Career podcast, I tend to focus on the big-picture strategies that can propel your career forward—things like building influence, earning visibility, and positioning yourself for future opportunities. But advancement isn’t just about the major moves. Sometimes, it’s the subtle, everyday actions that shape how others perceive you. This week, I want to zoom in on one of those seemingly small details that won’t directly earn you a promotion, but will absolutely impact the impression you leave on colleagues, managers, and executives: communication...
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A Seat At The Table - MAC104
Managing A Career
You Need to Be in the Room Where It Happens — But How? You’ve heard the phrase before: “You need to be in the room where decisions happen.” It sounds powerful—exclusive even—but no one ever hands you the playbook for getting in that room. Working hard isn’t enough. Being the best at your job isn’t enough. The truth is, opportunities to sit at the table where decisions are made don’t simply appear—they’re earned, often through deliberate actions, strategic visibility, and building the right kind of influence. So the real question becomes: how do you earn that seat at the...
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What Are You Prioritizing? - MAC103
Managing A Career
What You Prioritize Is What You Grow In your career—just like in life—whatever you prioritize is what takes root, grows, and ultimately defines your trajectory. Whether you’re intentional about it or not, your attention acts like sunlight and water: it nourishes certain parts of your professional life while leaving others to wither. Even worse is when you don’t make a conscious choice at all—when your career just “happens to you.” That passive approach can lead to years of drifting, missed opportunities, and invisible ceilings. So take a moment to reflect: what are you truly...
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Creating a Career Vision When You Don't Know What's Possible - MAC102
Managing A Career
We've recently gone through a reorganization at my job, and with that change, I now have several new team members reporting to me. In my one-on-one meetings, I like to focus on more than just status updates—I emphasize career development. One of the tools I’ve consistently found to be effective is the Individual Development Plan, or IDP. If you’ve been following this podcast, you may remember Episode 37 () where I broke down the Vision and Roadmap section of the IDP. It’s a framework I believe in deeply. But here’s the thing: many of my new team members are struggling with...
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Leadership Isn't Assigned -- It's Taken - MAC101
Managing A Career
“Being a leader isn't an assignment that is given to you, but an assignment that you TAKE.” Let that sink in. Leadership isn’t about waiting for permission. It’s about stepping up when others step back. In today's episode of the Managing A Career podcast, we’re diving deep into what it really means to TAKE leadership. Anyone can be a leader—because leadership is a quality you demonstrate, not a job title you hold. Sure, some roles come with authority baked in, but real leaders don’t wait for the title. They lead because they choose to. If you have ambitions to advance...
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Grow Your Team, Grow Your Self - MAC100
Managing A Career
There’s a common misconception the corporate world: to get ahead, someone else has to fall behind. It’s the old zero-sum thinking — that career advancement is a competitive, cutthroat race. But today, I want to challenge that notion. Whether you're managing a team or just stepping into a leadership role, the truth is that investing in the growth of others doesn’t slow you down — it accelerates your own career trajectory. Helping others succeed is one of the most powerful, and often underestimated, ways to grow yourself. This zero-sum outlook is rooted in fear and...
info_outlineThe job market right now is a really scary place. Large companies are laying off employees. Even the government, usually one of the more stable places to work is reducing their headcount. There are no guarantees of job security unless you own the company, but if you want to provide at least a modicum of safety when the reductions come around, you have to find a way to become indispensable.
There will be many who, when times are tough, will go into what I like to call "turtle" mode. They'll find ways to hide in their shell and hope that when the cuts come, they're overlooked. But if you want to be important, it starts with being seen. While this may feel uncomfortable and risky, if no one knows who you are and what you contribute to the company, how can you be viewed as an indispensable part of the company?
The first step to becoming more visible is to be more vocal. In meetings, pay attention to what is being discussed and look for opportunities to ask insightful questions. A well crafted question at the right time can show the attendees that you have desire to learn more about the subject. You can also express your opinion on topics that you already have a level of understanding. When others make suggestions, you can also offer support for their ideas -- just be careful of coming across as a "yes man".
The next step is to volunteer. When there are activities that involve highly visible or extremely challenging tasks, instead of shying away from them, step up and take ownership of those activities. By taking them on, you show ownership and leadership. Additionally, success on these assignments is amplified across the organization.
Another way to more visible is to tell everyone. This isn't about bragging. But, if you think back to Episode 044 (https://www.managingacareer.com/44), I cover Reporting Status. In that episode, I talk about how you can create a status report that expresses the value you have provided and how you might tailor those reports to different audiences. If you create a status report to be sent to your leader and their peers, you can increase you visibility without coming across as braggadocios.
The last way to increase your visibility is to talk to more people. In Episode 029, Building a Network (https://www.managingacareer.com/29) and Episode 070, Sphere of Influence (https://www.managingacareer.com/70), I offer several ways that you can grow your network -- both within and outside of your company. Use your network to showcase your contributions, especially with key decision-makers. Become a hub of knowledge by sharing industry trends and articles about new ideas and technology. Being that hub will have others seeking YOU out to be a part of THEIR network.
In last week's episode (https://www.managingacareer.com/80) the focus is on turning your Action Plan into daily Habits. You can apply this same strategy to increasing your visibility.
- To be more vocal, make a point of asking one question in each project meeting that you are in.
- Take ownership by making sure that you leave each meeting with at least one action item.
- Showcase your wins by sending a weekly status report.
- Build your network by scheduling a weekly coffee break with different people within your department.
Hiding in your shell and being quiet may feel comfortable, especially when the world feels chaotic, but that is not the path to job security or career advancement. When you are just starting out, use visibility to build credibility and showcase your leadership skills. When you are in the middle job grades, visibility can help you be assigned to the preferred projects. As you transition to positions of leadership, visibility will strengthen your position and ensure that you are leading a growing team.
Visibility is a critical component of growth. Help me grow this podcast by going to your podcast platform of choice or the Managing A Career website (https://www.managingacareer.com/reviews/new/) and leaving an honest review. More reviews will help others searching for career growth podcasts find and follow this podcast.