This document wasn't necessarily effective, but I wouldn't change it because the thing that I wouldn't have had to make for it to be effective wasn't the right answer, either. This was enough to show my team that there's an objective way to determine how to get to the next level. And that I'm committed to being objective in that process and figuring it out with you.

I think that is about as good as it gets. What they were asking for what "tell me exactly what I need to do to get here." And I didn't think making the answer to that question is helpful.

So it wasn't necessarily what the team wanted, but I wouldn't change it moving forward.

This was not a perfect document. Expectation docs are on a spectrum: there's the generic one for a whole company that's very high-level, then there's a version like this which is an improvement because it has specific marketing examples.

It failed because it wasn't specific enough for the individual roles on the team. A content person might not see what good looks like unless I specifically call that out. I tried to be as generic as I could, but on this marketing team each role was so unique and specialized that I'd have to have 10 different frameworks to give the team what they wanted.

In hindsight I did okay building out examples, but oftentimes I'd just try to be as explicit as possible in 1:1s about what success looks like for that individual person without making it a checklist.

The examples are specific to the company, but not specific to a certain person. That was done intentionally. We had one audience marketer who was a level three, and so I didn't need to have level one or two examples. And I didn't want to be prescriptive in a level three example to make them think all they had to do was "check a box."

I had to be a bit creative. So these examples are relevant to the company and to marketing, but not so tightly prescribed that someone thinks that if they iterate on an existing campaign they get promoted.

When you get to a certain level, you know more about the path you're on than I do. That's where it's challenging to flip your mindset. I really lean into that idea of you are now more of a subject matter expert in your area than I am or ever will be. So how can I support you in other ways?

That could be unlocking access to external resources so they have other folks to learn from or people to connect with. Sharing my network with them.

In terms of how to coach really senior ICs, it becomes more about coaching them on how to show up in conversations with your peers or with those above you in the organization.

Can I do my part in getting you into rooms that you might not have been in before? How can I help elevate your work so that other people are seeing it and you're able to grow those relationships?

We often end up talking a lot about impact and strategy. Strategy is usually one of the hardest gaps. What does good strategic work look like? Because they're coming out of a place of tactics, how do you expand that into a bigger point of view?

They're usually pretty good at goaling themselves and focusing on impact, but I think the challenge becomes more around choosing the right impact to have. Are you fitting it into the bigger picture of marketing strategy and business impact?

I've been a part of leveling documents that are a lot longer, maybe six or seven columns. I think that can be helpful but it can also be noise, too.

Oftentimes I have found that things get much less specific the further down you go. Past a VP level, they don't even bother putting together frameworks. I've never seen a good one for anything past Senior Director.

But I think every level should have one of these, because even if they're not perfect I think they're great.

Kevan Lee

I created this career ladder and expectation doc at Buffer to give his team guidance for how to grow their careers.

Marketing IC Levels & Expectations at Buffer

Marketing IC Levels & Expectations

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