Love how we spend the entre year being told to take ownership. Then we demonstrate leadership, exceed expectations + operate at the next level, only to discover that promotions are basically a secret competition nobody is allowed to discuss. there are nomination forms, calibration mtgs, management approvals... HR reviews, budget discussions, and people fighting over promotion slots like gladiators.... ur manager probably knows whether you're even in the running, but let's keep everyone guessing until Jan or Feb. It's all very motivating. ... performance matters. Just not as much as having the right people in the room advocating for you. You can deliver all year, but if someone two levels above you doesn't like your visibility or PERCEPTION better luck next cycle. Now we're all supposed to act surprised on letter day. people have probably been out of contention for months, but hey, keep working hard and showing those leadership behaviors. Nothing says meritocracy like a proces where everyone making the decisions knows what's happening except the person whose career is being decided. so, back to exceeding expectations. Maybe next year I'll calibrate harder.