Your Playbook
Tactics for framing your work, negotiating comp, and earning the next level.
12 tactics · 6 playsNegotiation Scripts
Clear language for compensation conversations that move the needle.
negotiation-scriptsAnchoring the Number FirstThe first concrete number in a compensation conversation pulls the whole range toward it, so anchor high with a reasoned figure rather than letting the other side set the frame. A confident, well-justified anchor reshapes what counts as a reasonable outcome.Read →
negotiation-scriptsThe Ask ScriptA clear ask combines a specific request, the evidence behind it, and a confident pause that hands the decision back to your manager. Knowing the exact words in advance keeps you steady when the moment arrives.Read →
Win Framing
Reframe your work in terms that resonate with leaders and reviewers.
win-framingLead With ImpactFrame every win by the business outcome it produced, not the task you performed, so the value is obvious before the details arrive. Impact-first framing turns a list of activities into a case for your worth.Read →
win-framingThe STAR Structure for WinsSituation, Task, Action, Result gives each win a tight narrative arc that a busy reviewer can follow in seconds. The structure forces you to name the result, which is where most accomplishments quietly lose their power.Read →
Timing
When to prepare, when to ask, when to strike.
timingPreparing for the Review CycleReview season rewards preparation that started months earlier, when wins were still fresh and numbers were still available. A short, steady capture habit beats a frantic week of reconstruction every time.Read →
timingWhen to Raise CompensationThe best moment to ask for more is when your leverage and your manager's budget flexibility both peak, which is usually right after a visible win and well before the budget cycle closes. Timing the ask is often worth more than refining the words.Read →
Leveling
How to move up the career ladder with intention and clarity.
levelingThe Promotion AlgorithmWork backward from the next level's expectations, find the gaps between them and your current evidence, then deliberately close those gaps with visible work. Promotion becomes a plan you execute rather than a verdict you await.Read →
levelingScope Is the Real LadderLevels are defined by the scope of problems you own, not the years you have served, so the path up is to demonstrate you already operate at the next tier's scope. Evidence of expanded scope is what makes a promotion case undeniable.Read →
BATNA
Building leverage through your alternatives and options.
batnaUsing Competing Offers WellA genuine competing offer is real leverage, but it works best presented as a problem you want to solve together rather than a threat. Used with care it can reset your comp; used clumsily it can damage trust.Read →
batnaYour Walkaway Is Your PowerYour real negotiating power comes from your best alternative to agreement, because it sets the point below which walking away beats accepting. Knowing and quietly strengthening that alternative is what lets you negotiate from calm rather than fear.Read →
Manager Dynamics
Work your relationship with your manager to your advantage, before review season.
manager-dynamicsFrame Wins to Your Manager's PrioritiesYour manager evaluates your work through the lens of what they are accountable for, so the wins that land hardest are the ones visibly tied to their priorities. Understanding what your manager is measured on turns your contributions into their wins too.Read →
manager-dynamicsMake the 1-on-1 Work for YouThe recurring one-on-one is your standing channel to shape how your manager perceives your work, raise ambitions early, and remove surprises from review season. Used deliberately, it is where promotions and raises are quietly set up.Read →