When I think about what it takes to move to Senior Researcher, Senior Designer, or Senior Engineer, there are some traits that often don’t get captured very well in a career ladder or other career framework. The following are the most important differentiators to be great at the Senior level:

• Don’t avoid the hard conversations. Great senior-level folks manage their own discomfort with the hard conversation. They make the conversation productive so that everyone can move forward.
• Give actionable high-quality feedback. Great senior-level folks give appropriate feedback to those around them. That feedback is timely, actionable, and has the best interests of the person to whom they’re giving the feedback at heart.
• Respond well to feedback. Besides giving great feedback, senior-level folks respond well to feedback, even when it’s not necessarily high-quality or actionable.

The more advanced that you get in your career, the more that the hard problems that you need to solve are people problems. Senior-level folks understand that their job is to successfully work with others.

Two of my favorite resources for managing hard conversations and feedback are Crucial Conversations and Thanks for the Feedback. Both books have practical frameworks and examples for handling difficult interactions.