Congrats on your new role! Now, please figure out what it is
“Congrats on your new role! Now, please figure out what it is.”
If I had a dollar for every time a client heard this, I would have, well, a few dozen dollars.
This situation, where somebody gets promoted, but doesn’t exactly get a role description is exceptionally common. And sometimes, they are still expected to do their old job whilst grappling with their new one. And, and, and, just for fun, they’re often unsure how to get clarity without seeming ungrateful and support without seeming too needy.
Clearly, this is not ideal for anyone. So why does it happen?
They are promoted in recognition of their tenure and ambition - but there isn’t a clearly articulated job for them to do.
They are promoted to fulfill a grab bag of tasks and responsibilities, not to take on a specific role.
They are promoted because they asked for a promotion and the person they asked was uncomfortable saying no. (This is surprisingly common.)
They were promoted because they have otherwise been a great employee and it seemed like the right thing to do - but there wasn’t really a role available for them.
There's also a kinder read - particularly when the boss in question is an entrepreneur. Handing you greater accountability without total clarity isn't always a failure of process. Often, it's a compliment. They see something of themselves in you: someone who doesn't need a map to be trusted with the territory. That won't make the ambiguity less annoying. But it might make it feel less personal - and more like something you can work with.
So, what can a newly promoted person do when their new job isn’t exactly clear? How can they make sure their old role is filled by someone who is not them?
I have thoughts.
In brief: embrace the upside, minimize the downside, and make a clear and reasonable case for backfilling your last role.
Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Get clear on what you want
Yes, it's annoying. You've finally got some meaningful recognition from the company, but the promotion is a bit vague and very poorly resourced. But also, it's an opportunity - you're likely working in a context where you can (to a point) shape the role you want.
Start there. Get clear on what you want. Not "I wanted a promotion and now I want a job description" but "I want to do more of ____, ideally less of ____, and if I also travel [more/less] for the firm, that would be great." Or "I want to take on some business development responsibilities, and get out of the admin side of the work." Or "I want to focus on building out our work on [industry vertical or market opportunity] and take on more of an office-wide leadership role."
Step 2: Frame it around what the org needs
Knowing what you want and getting what you want are not the same - without, that is, a strategic approach to communication.
Here is where you take a step back and ask yourself: what does the organisation need? What does the CEO, principal, owner, or whoever you're asking, actually care about? Once you know that, you can frame your ask in terms that will resonate - and know that the role you're shaping directly supports the business's mission.
Step 3: Make the case for backfilling your old role
This only addresses part of the story, though. How do you deliver on this new role when you're still doing your old job?
In the world as it should be, you could simply point out that one person doing two jobs isn't sustainable, and will likely mean they're set up to do neither job well. And perhaps in a well-resourced large org, you can still do that. (But a well-resourced large org is also unlikely to promote you into an unclear role... so, there's that.)
If you're operating in the world as it likely is, take the intel from Step 2 - what does the org need, what does your boss care about - and frame your ask in those terms.
If you anticipate a flat no ("we can't hire someone to replace you, you're too valuable"), have a plan ready. For example:
For the next two months, keep doing the most important, most consequential parts of your old role while you define and own the new one.
The following month, start interviewing candidates to come in at the same level, or an intermediate one.
Two to four weeks after that, meet with the top two or three candidates and make an offer.
Devote a set number of hours to training them, so the transition is a net positive for the business - not a drag on it.
Your plan’s substance will likely differ, but the subtext is the same: “I care about the business, my last role remains important, and I’m recommending and supporting a path forward that sets the team and the org up for success.”
The vague promotion isn't the problem. Staying vague about what you want, and what the business needs, is. So: what's your ask, and who's going to take your old job off your plate?
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Ellie Hearne is the founder of Pencil or Ink, where she coaches senior leaders, runs retreats that skip the trust falls, and gives keynotes on leadership to audiences who've sat through one too many keynotes on leadership. She also oversees Oxford's AI-Driven Business Transformation Executive Programme and is, by her own admission, still writing her own job description.