The Calibration Meeting

In calibration, managers present candidates and peers push back. The strongest cases carry three elements: measurable impact, next-level behavior, and cross-functional support. That third piece proves your reputation travels beyond your manager, which is why visibility can weigh as much as output.

Before calibration, make sure your manager has three concrete stories about you, each short enough to land in thirty seconds. A story your sponsor cannot retell will not survive the room, no matter how strong the original work was.