1. How to Get Promoted and Stand Out
from Your Peers by Match fmr VP of
Product
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5. HOW TO GET
PROMOTED
Stand out from your peers and look good doing it
Matt Gray
Fmr VP of Product at
Match
May 31, 2023
Metropolitan Pavilion, NYC

6. ABOUT ME
I have promoted people, been
promoted, and advised others who
have been promoted.
I’ve worked in organizations with
very deliberate and structured
performance cultures as well as in
those without them.

7. PRESENTATION
STRUCTURE
Our agenda
When you start your role...
As you execute...
During feedback cycles...
When you finally get promoted...
A message to the managers...
Recommendations for resources
Final words

8. WHAT IS A
PROMOTION?

10. WHEN YOU START
YOUR ROLE...

11. BE CLEAR WITH YOUR
MANAGER THAT YOU ARE
AN AMBITIOUS PERSON
When you start your role…

12. UNDERSTAND WHAT
SUCCESS LOOKS
LIKE TO YOUR
MANAGER
When you start your role...

13. UNDERSTAND WHO
INFLUENCES YOUR
MANAGER’S VIEW OF
YOU
When you start your role...

14. UNDERSTAND WHAT
GETS PROMOTED
When you start your role...
Me: Studying their every move
XFN colleagues:
*getting promoted*

15. UNDERSTAND WHAT
PERFORMANCE
LOOKS LIKE AT EACH
LEVEL
When you start your role...

16. When you start your role...
Mon 5/9 to Fri 5/20:
Complete discussions
with manager on best
choices for peer
feedback
1
Mon 5/23 to Fri 6/3:
Complete
self-review and peer
feedback within
Workday
2
Mon 6/6 to Fri 6/17:
Managers complete
team assessments and
have mid-year
discussions
3
UNDERSTAND THE
PERFORMANCE
RITUALS OF YOUR
COMPANY

17. LEARN ABOUT THE
HIDDEN CULTURE AT
YOUR COMPANY
When you start your role...

18. AS YOU EXECUTE...

19. EXECUTE EXCELLENTLY
As you execute...

20. DEFINE CLEAR GOALS
FOR YOURSELF AND
YOUR TEAM
As you execute...

21. TRACK YOUR OWN
ACHIEVEMENTS
As you execute...

22. CAPTURE POSITIVE
FEEDBACK AND
RECOGNITION
As you execute...
#thanks so much @Matt
Gray for leading the series
of unified product naming
discussions and helping
us reach a huge milestone
#thanks Matt for the tips on doing
live VC recordings and the shortcuts
to get them going quickly.
#thanks to Matt Gray for taking the time
to meet weekly, bounce ideas, and help
me grow my skills in customer
development and product metrics.
You’re one of my role-models as a
product manager and I’ll be taking your
This is great investigation, #thanks
@Matt Gray for digging through user
feedback and collecting actionable
themes
#Thanks Matt! I am
grateful for the time
you have been
spending mentoring
me. I really
appreciate your
candid response and
advice on difficult

23. SOLICIT CRITICAL
FEEDBACK AND ACT
ON IT
As you execute...

24. ASK FOR PUBLIC
RECOGNITION
As you execute...
"You're welcome – glad that was helpful! I wouldn't be allergic to a
thanksbot callout if you have an extra minute!"

25. REGULARLY
INFLUENCE YOUR
MANAGER
As you execute...
“What do you need to be able to say to your manager and other
leaders to justify my promotion during the next cycle?”

26. REGULARLY
INFLUENCE YOUR
SKIP LEVEL
MANAGER
As you execute...
Influence

27. REGULARLY
INFLUENCE OTHERS
WHO INFLUENCE
YOUR MANAGER
As you execute...
Source: Extant Structure by Mark Walsh from Integration Training (integrationtraining.co.uk)

29. EXECUTE EXCELLENTLY
As you execute...

30. DURING FEEDBACK
CYCLES…

31. PULL TOGETHER A
THOROUGH SELF
REVIEW
During feedback cycles...

32. GAME THE PEER
REVIEW SYSTEM
During feedback cycles...

33. WHEN YOU FINALLY GET
PROMOTED…

34. SHOW GRATITUDE
When you finally get promoted...

35. When you finally get promoted...
1 to 30
31 to 60
61 to 90
CREATE A NEW
90-DAY PLAN

36. MESSAGE TO THE
MANAGERS…

37. A MESSAGE TO
THE MANAGERS...
Manage careers proactively
Communicate expectations
clearly
Facilitate conversations about
gaps and growth
Follow through and actually
promote

38. RESOURCES
INSPIRED by Marty
Cagan
EMPOWERED by Marty
Cagan
The First 90 Days
Workplace Poker by
Dan Rust
"What's your shape?"
by Ravi Mehta
Product School

39. THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!
Find me at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/
mattgrayproduct
productcooperative.com
LinkedIn Website

40. Part-time Product Management
Training Courses
and Team Training
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