You've been crushing your performance reviews for years, yet you're still stuck in the same role while teammates get promoted. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. According to research from Textio, organizations recognize 5-15% of their employees as high performers on average. That leaves a large chunk of the workforce who are overperforming but still don't make the cut for a promotion. The issue is that performance reviews measure how well you execute your current job, not whether you're ready for the next level. This creates what experts term a "performance paradox"—the better you become at your current role, the more indispensable you appear in that position, which can actually limit career advancement opportunities.

Stellar performance reviews, while necessary, aren't enough to climb the corporate ladder. Let's look at seven reasons why you might not be getting promoted and what you can do about it.

The Issue: Your performance review measures how well you complete assigned tasks, meet deadlines and achieve predetermined goals. These metrics reflect your competence in your current role but say little about your potential to handle greater responsibilities or lead others.

What to Do Instead: Start tracking and communicating metrics that demonstrate your strategic impact. Instead of reporting that you "completed all projects on time," quantify how your work contributed to broader business objectives. For example, "Led a process improvement initiative that reduced team workload by 20%, enabling the department to take on three additional client projects without increasing headcount." Focus on outcomes that show you're thinking beyond your job description. Document instances where you've identified problems before they escalated, proposed solutions that benefited multiple departments or influenced decisions outside your direct area of responsibility.