How to Choose Promotable Work (and Stop Getting Stuck in Busy Work)

January 19, 2026

In this episode, I walk through how to identify promotable vs non-promotable work, why being the most helpful person on the team often leads to invisible effort, and how to start demonstrating VP-level judgment before you ever have the title. You’re not being selfish. You’re being strategic.

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EPISODE SUMMARY

Being helpful won’t get you promoted. Strategic work will. In this episode, I break down how to identify promotable tasks, stop saying yes to busy work, and start making VP-level decisions. Download my free Task Audit at morewomenpromoted.com/audit.

If you’re saying yes to everything at work, that might be the exact reason you’re not getting promoted.

In this episode, I walk through how to identify promotable vs non-promotable work, why being the most helpful person on the team often leads to invisible effort, and how to start demonstrating VP-level judgment before you ever have the title. You’re not being selfish. You’re being strategic.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why being the most helpful person on the team is not what gets you promoted
  • How I identify promotable vs non-promotable tasks in my own work and with clients
  • The signals busy work sends about your leadership readiness
  • How to push back on low-value requests without hurting relationships
  • Why you need to make VP-level decisions before you’re ever a VP

Resources Mentioned

Download my free Task Audit Template to see exactly where your time is going and which tasks are helping or hurting your promotion

Still waiting on that VP promotion? Join me March 9th for my workshop to learn exactly how to create the right visibility, with the right people, in a way that positions you as VP-ready. Register here: https://morewomenpromoted.com/workshop/

 

…LET’S CONTINUE THE CONVO!

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a DM on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward and we can take it from there.

Remember, there’s room for all of us at the table.

Hi, I’m Katy McFee
A former VP and EVP who knows how hard it is to break into executive leadership. After years of feeling stuck, I figured it out and now, as a certified executive coach, I help other women do the same. I’ve supported hundreds in landing the promotions they deserve with strategies that make success achievable, without the years of trial and error.