What to do when bypassed for a promotion

ELBONOMICS: Toiling in the office is not the same as working on one’s dream.

This is my seventh year as a manager in the company that offers the highest pay and perk package in the industry. The trouble is that we’ve got a strange promotion policy favoring meritocracy over seniority. A recent case in point is when my junior colleague who has been in the company for only four years was promoted to the post of director, which is two ranks higher than my current post. I can’t understand it given my back-breaking performance over the past three years. Most of the time, I stay in the office even after working hours to complete a project while my junior comes and goes. How do I respond to this development? — Disgruntled.

You have the mentality of a shoe salesman: “If the shoe fits in the customer, he’ll complain about the wrong color.” A customer has every reason to complain, but not an employee like you who is gainfully employed and receiving a lucrative package. Besides, your concern is only one side of the coin.

I’m not saying you should not complain. You should also try to understand it from the perspectives of management instead of relying on your perception about your “back-breaking performance” which may not be enough in the eyes of your boss.

Take it from Positive Mentality: “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.” In other words, it’s not the number of hours that you spend in the office, but the real, tangible results that you can show to everyone.

All the good things you’re saying about yourself is at best self- serving. According to psychology, we tend to consider all positive events as the result of one’s perceived strengths and attribute negative events to external factors caused by other people, circumstances, accidents, and other misfortunes.

All of us are guilty of this. We tend to credit our perceived hard work resulting in an imaginable success to ourselves alone. On the other hand, failures are caused by other people, events, or places. That’s why you’re bringing out the issue of your junior colleague. It’s really difficult to accept this. But since you’re asking my opinion, I have to preface my answer to you by saying that you don’t have to blame your bosses and your junior colleague for your predicament.

So how should you proceed? The following recommendations can help you reassess your position and at the same time give you the chance to go back to a situation where you may have done something that may have resulted in your bypass:

One, review the performance target and standards with your boss. There’s no other way but to go back to the basics. Are you clear with the objectives and parameters of the job? Double check this with your boss. More importantly, you have to live within company guidelines and its management style. If they prefer meritocracy to seniority, then so be it.

Two, exceed management expectations on all counts. This means not settling for average work performance. If there’s a production or sales quota, achieve at least a 10% increase over the acceptable standard and do it way beyond the deadline. Do this as a matter of habit and you can’t go wrong.

Three, mind your own business by paddling your own canoe. If you do that, there is very little chance for you to rock the boat. You’ll have no time to be jealous of other people. Concentrate on your tasks and seek the feedback of your boss on a regular basis. This way, you can readily understand if you’re doing it according to his expectations.

Four, be effective and efficient at the same time. You’re effective if you’re doing your job according to management specifications. And you’re efficient if you’re doing more with less resources — including the proactive discovery of cost-saving measures that would set you apart from all others. Many times, this approach is often ignored by many people.

I will not recommend that you explore opportunities elsewhere. Why? Assuming that you’re able to get another job, what’s the guarantee that you’ll not encounter the same issue with other employers? At times, it could put you in a worse situation than before. It’s like jumping from a frying pan into the fire.

Bringing yourself to your maximum potential doesn’t end with doing the above. It’s equally important to provide the same motivation to your own people who can help you achieve your career goals. The extent to which you do this will depend on you as being constructive and unobtrusive in providing the necessary guidance to people.