Timing is very important. In 2015, I started to engage with peers about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. My prompts were often received with quizzical looks and replies such as “Diversity and inclusion? Is this an American thing, Patricia?”

Seven years later, I don’t get those puzzled looks anymore. It’s much easier to start a conversation about DEI now but what if everybody had waited to start those discussions until 2022?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗶 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. I know it well because as Director of Support and Operations I’m paid to have “uncomfortable” conversations all the time. When things go wrong, people are unhappy with a product or service, processes are not being adopted…

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁! The urgent gives us a shot of dopamine. The important is typically rewarding only in the long term.

We tell ourselves that to discuss a promotion with our manager we need to wait until

- The next IRL meeting

- Complete X, Y, and Z projects

- Our boss is relaxed

- Our manager asks us about our career plans...

𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝟮.𝟱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

I know it’s easy to say “it’s too late now” or “I’ll start in 2023”… The only moment when it will be too late will be December 31st at 23.59.

The best moment to start working on your promotion this year was January 1st, 2022. The next best moment it’s today.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

Don’t know where to start? Need inspiration? Encouragement? Review my earlier posts on career promotion myths or go to the link below where I’ve grouped them all.

https://patriciagestoso.com/career-promotion-survival-guide/