The Earning Power Audit

When you describe your work to someone senior, what are you mostly describing?

What I know and how the system works What my team delivered and when How I run the team and keep things moving Which problems matter most and why the others can wait The decision I am recommending and what happens either way

In a review with your leadership, what do you typically bring?

A thorough status update covering everything A status update with the risks called out The two or three things that need attention A recommendation, the trade-off, and what I need from them

Could you explain, in business terms, what your current work is worth to the company?

Not really. My work is measured in delivery, not money. Roughly, if pushed Yes, in cost terms Yes, in revenue, risk or capability terms, and I have said so out loud to someone senior

Outside your own function, how many senior people would take your call and act on your view?

Very few. My relationships are mostly inside my team and function. One or two A handful across a few functions Enough that I can get something moving without going through my boss

The last time you disagreed with a senior stakeholder, what happened?

I did not raise it I raised it and it went badly I raised it carefully and it was noted I changed the decision, and the relationship was fine afterwards

How much of what you are paid for could a capable person with good AI tools now do noticeably faster?

Most of it, if I am honest A meaningful chunk Some of the production work, not the judgement Very little. What I am paid for is context, judgement and accountability.

You are operating at or above your title. The constraint on you now is usually visibility and sponsorship rather than capability, which is a different problem with a different fix. Strong. You have moved past delivery into framing and influence. The gap to the next level is likely in enterprise scope: being trusted with problems that are not yours. This is the classic plateau, and it is not a criticism. You are good at your job. The trouble is that being good at your job is now the thing holding you in place, because the organisation has learned to use you for what you already do well. Most of your value currently sits in expertise and execution. That is exactly the ground that is getting cheaper. Worth treating the shift upward as urgent rather than as something for next year. Start with one thing: for the next month, replace every status update you give with a recommendation. It sounds small. It is the single fastest change most people can make.

The full ladder, with examples