There is no such thing as a typical promotion. The Lesson Promotions differ in terms of how the vacancy develops, the number of candidates considered, corporate objectives for the person or position, and whether the chosen candidate has been groomed for the job. Action to Take Study the lay of the land . Check out how people get promoted in your organization, and think about how to make the scenarios work for you. For example, if your company's been through a downsizing and there are fewer upper-management positions available, you can still get promoted in place.
Most bosses look for the same qualities when promoting people.
Don't ignore the role that politics play. They also place a big premium on their own personal comfort with the candidates for the job. They look for people they can trust. Both merit and politics play key roles. Action to Take It's not just who you know that counts.