In big tech these overly-granular, arbitrary systems are designed specifically to avoid this kind of variance in promotability from how managers infer the rules. If they're designed badly, you have to lie to get your example through the pipeline.
> If they're designed badly, you have to lie to get your example through the pipeline.
Agreed
> If the spec says 'doesn't ask questions', it is!
It's not. At anywhere I've ever worked, it's about meeting enough of the criteria and your manager coming to bat for you. If the spec says don't ask questions and your manager backs you, you're getting promoted. If the spec says you must make 3 widgets a day and you make 4 widgets a day more than anyone else, but your manager won't back you, you're not getting the promotion.
If your manager is a rule stickler, follow the rules. If they value breaking the process, then break the process.
But dogmatically pointing to the rules, and saying "but the rules say this" is unlikely to get you very far. To quote Geoffrey Rush - "They're more like guidelines"
>It’s not about not asking questions
If the spec says 'doesn't ask questions', it is!