alefdx
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Pursue a work promotion
Star this Commitment
Week 14 of 26
alefdx commits to:
Invest at least 3 hours each week on pursuing a work promotion. This includes working on network, commercial impact, visibility and other required endeavors.
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My Commitment Journal
 alefdx
January 19, 2026, 8:34 PM
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- completed “self assessment” vs promotion criteria and process - progressed work on retirement BD, which is cross functional and gives exposure to stakeholders - discussion with Kashif to ask him for support and view on strengths / weaknesses |
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JPSERHAL
January 13, 2026, 7:27 PM
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Hi amorino, Obstacles showing up and things not going the way we want them to are part of any hard goal. Your job is to remain focused and determined, and have unwavering tenacity, like you're already doing. How easy or hard the others got it is none of your business, since this is your own path. Sometimes having a frank discussion with the people who committed to helping you but are not is beneficial. If Kashif isn't supporting you the way he promised and committed to, then he needs to be held accountable. In terms of milestones, consider the long list of candidates the next big step you're working towards. Get Kashif to commit to getting you on that list. You and him have spoken about this for a while. He's seen your efforts and your results. Try to understand why he would NOT put you on it. If he advised you well, there should be not surprises. If there is a reason, then he owes you an explanation. He'll also have lost some of his legitimacy as an advisor to you. Keep going amore !!! |
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alefdx
January 12, 2026, 10:17 PM
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Current major issues in my path: - Stefan not convinced I’m ready to pursue the promotion this year - Kashif not demonstrating support in a tangible way - Missing one sponsor/ very early-stage engagement with Anne PM or Beccy - Charles has clearly wrong impression Completed this week - Worked on ways to address first two issues (Stefan and Kashif) o Conducted self-assessment of my readiness for promotion using BlackRock’s official promotion criteria, leadership principles, guidance for managers around promotion process o Planning meeting with Kashif (w/c 19 Jan). Open discussion: “now is the time we decide if we want to pursue this with conviction. I want to have a frank discussion to assess whether we’re convinced of doing it or not. These are the criteria, this is where I think I have strengths, these are the weaknesses – I think there’s a path and I’m serious about pursuing it this year but I’ll need your help mainly advocating for me with Stefan / Charles and subsequently with other stakeholders. o If Kashif confirms support -> Kashif to speak with Stefan and advocate for me o Then I’ll speak with Stefan: “open discussion” similar to Kashif, but hopefully he’ll be already more convinced that I can give it a shot this year - My department (global advisory MDs) will need to agree an initial longlist of candidates for promotion by end of this month / early February. My objective is to create awareness with key MDs that I want this and demonstrate I have the requirements: o Planned call with Steve Witthun (head of Americas) for w/c 19 Jan o Planned call with Ashwin (US head of markets) for 13 Jan - Run Kashif/Stefan approach with friendly stakeholders/ mentors before meetings: o Planned call with Philippe de Koning o Planned call with Scott Harris |
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alefdx
January 5, 2026, 10:20 PM
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| I didn’t feel much motivation this week. I spent only about 1 hour strategising how to tackle next steps with Stefan and other stakeholders but not much more | |
This Commitment has no photos.
Displaying 1-4 of 12 results.
January 12 to January 19
Successful
Success
Success
JPSERHAL
- Referee approval report
ok amo
alefdx
- Committed user success report
- completed “self assessment” vs promotion criteria and process
- progressed work on retirement BD, which is cross functional and gives exposure to stakeholders
- discussion with Kashif to ask him for support and view on strengths / weaknesses
January 5 to January 12
Successful
Success
Success
JPSERHAL
- Referee approval report
alefdx
- Committed user success report
Current major issues in my path:
- Stefan not convinced I’m ready to pursue the promotion this year
- Kashif not demonstrating support in a tangible way
- Missing one sponsor/ very early-stage engagement with Anne PM or Beccy
- Charles has clearly wrong impression
Completed this week
- Worked on ways to address first two issues (Stefan and Kashif)
o Conducted self-assessment of my readiness for promotion using BlackRock’s official promotion criteria, leadership principles, guidance for managers around promotion process
o Planning meeting with Kashif (w/c 19 Jan). Open discussion: “now is the time we decide if we want to pursue this with conviction. I want to have a frank discussion to assess whether we’re convinced of doing it or not. These are the criteria, this is where I think I have strengths, these are the weaknesses – I think there’s a path and I’m serious about pursuing it this year but I’ll need your help mainly advocating for me with Stefan / Charles and subsequently with other stakeholders.
o If Kashif confirms support -> Kashif to speak with Stefan and advocate for me
o Then I’ll speak with Stefan: “open discussion” similar to Kashif, but hopefully he’ll be already more convinced that I can give it a shot this year
- My department (global advisory MDs) will need to agree an initial longlist of candidates for promotion by end of this month / early February. My objective is to create awareness with key MDs that I want this and demonstrate I have the requirements:
o Planned call with Steve Witthun (head of Americas) for w/c 19 Jan
o Planned call with Ashwin (US head of markets) for 13 Jan
- Run Kashif/Stefan approach with friendly stakeholders/ mentors before meetings:
o Planned call with Philippe de Koning
o Planned call with Scott Harris
December 29 to January 5
Not Successful
Not Successful
Not required
December 22 to December 29
Successful
Success
Success
JPSERHAL
- Referee approval report
Ok amo. Good thing to gain awareness on situations.
Was this summary ChatGPT summarised?
It's often good to take our own notes - even better is to have them written by hand so that information gets drilled in our brain.
alefdx
- Committed user success report
Finished reading the book Secrets to Winning at Office Politics: How to Achieve Your Goals and Increase Your Influence at Work.
Some takeaways from the last 3 chapters:
HOW TO MANAGE YOUR BOSS
Accept the power structure. Your boss has formal authority over your work, regardless of competence or personality. Resisting this reality only creates friction. Influence is gained by working within the system, not fighting it.
Adjust expectations and avoid triggers. Managers are imperfect and have quirks. Identify your boss’s sensitivities and avoid provoking them. Appreciate a good boss when you have one; otherwise, lower expectations.
Understand your boss’s style. Learn how your boss prefers information, decisions, and results. If expectations are unclear, ask directly. Most managers value employees who seek alignment early.
Make your boss successful. Deliver high-quality work on time, stay responsive, solve problems, and contribute ideas. When your boss looks good, your own credibility and influence increase.
Do not complain about your boss. Public criticism—especially to subordinates or outsiders—is politically damaging. Limit discussion to trusted peers for constructive problem-solving.
Offer genuine praise occasionally. Sincere compliments build goodwill and trust when given sparingly and authentically. This is recognition, not flattery.
Build relationships above your boss. Visibility with senior leaders strengthens political capital and job security, particularly during leadership changes.
Adapt quickly to new managers. A new boss changes expectations. Resistance labels you as difficult to manage. Stay flexible and open to learning, even if the adjustment is uncomfortable.
HOW TO MANAGE EXECUTIVES
Communicate quickly and concisely. Executives are time-constrained and process information rapidly. Lead with your most important points and avoid long explanations. Expect interruptions and questions—executives prefer to steer the conversation rather than listen to monologues.
Do not expect clear or detailed instructions. Executive thinking is high-level and fast-moving, which often results in vague guidance. Pressing for specifics can be interpreted as a lack of judgment. Success requires interpreting intent, exercising initiative, and reading between the lines.
Build a strong relationship with the executive assistant. Administrative assistants often understand the executive’s priorities and thinking better than anyone else. They can help clarify expectations and provide context when direct guidance is unavailable.
Take ownership and make things happen. Once a task is delegated, executives mentally consider it resolved. They do not want to revisit it unless there is a problem. Avoid going back for clarification; instead, use your own judgment, networks, and available resources to deliver results.
Deliver flawless execution despite ambiguity. Even with unclear instructions, executives expect perfect outcomes. They dislike dealing with details but assume all obstacles will be handled and mistakes avoided. Sloppy work quickly erodes credibility.
Do not take bad behavior personally. Some executives communicate harshly under pressure. While unacceptable, it is often not personal. Choose carefully when and how to push back, recognizing potential career risks—and never emulate such behavior yourself.
Set aside ego but retain confidence. Competing egos lead to unwinnable power struggles. At the same time, excessive submissiveness signals weakness. Executives respect confident professionals who acknowledge authority without diminishing themselves.
Maintain a sense of humor. Perspective and emotional resilience are essential for working effectively in high-pressure executive environments.
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