The question to ask your boss before your next review

Many people assume that if they keep their head down and do good work, the right people will notice and progression will follow. It feels modest and fair, and asking directly about promotion can seem pushy. So they wait, hoping the review will recognise what they have been doing all year.

The problem is that your boss is juggling their own priorities, deadlines and team. They may not be tracking your progress as closely as you hope. And “do good work” is not something anyone can point to when making a case for you. Without a clear standard, the review becomes a conversation about impressions rather than evidence.

The fix is to ask one question before the review, not during it: “What would make me undeniable for the next level?” The aim is to get the specific bar in your boss’s own words. Once you have it, the next level stops being a vague hope and becomes a checklist you can work against.

Write down what they say and check back on it over the following months. If an answer is vague, ask for an example of what it would look like in practice. When review time comes, you can show progress against the exact criteria they gave you, which makes it far easier for them to argue on your behalf.