Seven Things Highly Promotable People Do Well

Posted in Career Search Tools & Education, Improve Sales & Profits, Latest Leadership Posts, Leadership Development & Training, Performance Management, Talent Development & Training on Aug 04,2026

A career planning and management best practice is to position yourself for the promotions your employer will make at some time in the future.

As an employee (part-time, full-time, contract, or freelancer), your day-to-day performance places you in one of two categories: promotable or not promotable. Getting a promotion starts months (or years) before the promotion date.

What makes someone promotable? Here are seven attributes of highly promotable people.

Doers, not talkers. Whatever the assignment, task, or objective, doers simply get it done right the first time. No drama or excuses, just results. When they do this long enough, people will ask them to take on new challenges. They are often the first one to work and the last one to leave. They don’t quit until the job is done, regardless of what the clock says. Their actions and results do the talking for them.
Solvers, not excuse makers. Promotable people see a problem, look for causes, and take actions to solve the problem. You’ll hear them approach their supervisor and say, “I noticed a problem with X, so I’ve tried a couple of things and found something that seems to work,” and then explain what they did and how the results have benefitted the customer/department/company. In contrast, non-promotable people let their boss handle problems, or worse, complain about them.
Selfless, not selfish. They are always alert for opportunities to lend a hand to others. They ask for assignments others don’t want, and then do them well with a smile. It’s always about the good of the department / customer / patient / company. No job is beneath them.
Respectful, not inconsiderate. Promotable people respect everyone, regardless of what they do and where they come from. They never gossip or get caught up in politics. They treat others with courtesy. They practice active listening instead of looking through or past people who are talking to them. They place others first.
Outward focused, not self-focused. Promotable people look beyond the task, job description and department – they think about the big picture and how what they do affects everything else. When having to make a choice at work, they always choose team and customer interests over self-interests. They recognize that their own sacrifices are small in comparison to the benefits of encouraging teammates and extending the life of a customer or patient.
Givers, not takers. Promotable people set a personal example to give more than what is asked or expected. They consistently produce to a higher standard than is set by their employer. If they see a job that needs to be done, and they can do it, they jump in and do it – they don’t check first to see if it is on their job description. They rarely run out of paid time off and they don’t abuse break times. They never do personal business on company time, which includes taking calls, texting, personal emails, gaming, and any other form of personal amusement while they are on the clock.
Integrity and trust, not questionable motives. They set a personal example of integrity that is bullet proof. Because they are givers (not takers), selfless (not self-focused), and solvers (not excuse makers) they have developed an iron-clad reputation within and outside the employer. They don’t cut corners, and they always do what they said they would do. They don’t hang out with people of questionable character or motivation. Even if they were certain they could get away with something, they simply don’t cut corners or rationalize honesty. As a result, people trust them with confidential information and the keys to the kingdom.

Bottom Line

Every one of the seven qualities of highly promotable people represents an intentional choice to be a leader by doing. And when people commit to promotable behavior and live it out on the job, they never have to worry about their career hitting a snag or being able to get the best jobs with the best employers.

Go to top

About me: Since founding Boyer Management Group 28 years ago, I’ve been blessed to work with some of the world’s top employers by helping them get the most out of their talented people. Thanks to our clients, the company I founded in 1998, Boyer Management Group, was recognized by CEO Monthly Magazine in 2023, 2024, and again in 2025, awarding us their “Most Influential CEO Award” in the executive coaching field. C-Suite Insider named me its 2024 CEO of the Year for Executive Coaching. Our coaching programs produce remarkable results in compressed periods of time. Our extensive leadership development course catalog provides effective skills-building for everyone in the organization, from the new and developing leader to the seasoned C-level executive. BMG boasts one of the most extensive sales and sales management curriculums anywhere, with behavioral assessments to help develop talent. To find out more, please visit us at www.boyermanagement.com or email us at info@boyermanagement.com.