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Dear Quota Team,

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Last quarter, my manager started leaning on me to take more of a leadership role. At first it was small stuff like helping onboard a new rep, answering questions in Slack, sitting in on client calls for training. But it’s since snowballed. Now, the team comes to me with every problem. I’m coaching, I’m troubleshooting, I’m basically the go-to person whenever my manager is tied up.

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Here’s the kicker: none of this was discussed with me. It just… happened. I’ve asked about whether there’s a path to promotion, but all I get is vague encouragement like “you’re on the right track,” or “we’ll revisit it next quarter.” In the meantime, my workload has doubled and I’m not making a cent more than I was before.

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It feels like I’m in this weird limbo. I’ve been “promoted” in terms of responsibility, but not in title or pay. How do I stop being the unpaid safety net and actually turn this into a real opportunity?

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Uneasy in Connecticut

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Dear Uneasy,

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Taking on a manager’s workload without the title or pay isn’t a promotion—it’s free labor. The upside is that you’ve already proven you can lead. The next step is to make it formal. Document the extra responsibilities you’ve taken on, then have a direct conversation with your manager: “I’ve been doing X, Y, and Z. What’s the timeline and criteria for a promotion with adjusted compensation?” If they can’t give you specifics, it’s a sign you may need to find an organization that will. Good luck!