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From: "Zulfiqar Shah" <zulfiqar.shah@bfbio.com>
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Subject: Didn't get that promotion?
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:07:59 +0500
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A good read for your career


 


HBR Blog Network <http://blogs.hbr.org/>  


Didn't Get That Promotion?


by Amy Gallo  |   9:32 AM August 29, 2011 

 

Getting passed over for a promotion can be disheartening and even
humiliating. Whether you thought you deserved the job or were promised it,
no one likes hearing that they didn't meet the mark. The reality is that it
happens all the time, perhaps more so in a tough economy when companies
hesitate to give out promotions or raises. The good news is that it's
possible to survive the experience with both your reputation and ego intact,
and to become a better employee because of it.

What the Experts Say
If you're told you aren't going to advance, you can't let the disappointment
stunt your performance or your career. Instead, you need to act. "Things
will only be better in the future if we do something about it," says
Christopher Peterson, a professor of psychology at University of Michigan
and a pioneer in the field of positive psychology. In fact, failing to get a
promotion can be a great opportunity to learn as long as you keep it in
perspective. "It's possible to reframe these setbacks as disappointment
rather than devastation," says Ben Dattner, author of
<http://www.amazon.com/Blame-Game-Determine-Success-Failure/dp/143916956X>
The Blame Game and founder of Dattner Consulting. Here are five ways to not
only endure the situation, but to make the most of it.

Wait
"The first thing is to not act impulsively, emotionally or reflexively,"
says Dattner, who is also the co-author of the HBR article, "Can
<http://hbr.org/2011/04/managing-yourself-can-you-handle-failure/ar/1>  You
Handle Failure?" Don't compound the issue by acting petulant or entitled.
"It's not always possible to make things better, but it is always possible
to make things worse," adds Dattner. Instead, let yourself feel the emotions
that come up, the whole range of them. You are likely to feel disappointment
and anger but you may also feel some relief. Do this long enough to cool
down but don't wallow in the feelings. "Getting angry and depressed will not
get you another promotion," says Peterson.

Gather others' perspectives
Peterson suggests that once you've had a chance to calm down, find out why
it happened. If possible, talk with the decision maker. Just listen and
don't get defensive. "There are always reasons, even if they aren't
justified," says Dattner. Take this as an opportunity to learn about
yourself and your place in the company. Peterson cautions that you may not
get a straight answer from the person in charge. If that's the case, "seek
out a trusted and knowledgeable person you can get advice from," says
Peterson. You may even want to get an outside perspective from a headhunter
in your industry as to whether you have the right skills and experience for
the job. "What we think we deserve is different from what others think we
deserve," says Dattner.

Act instead of complain
The squeaky wheel may get the grease in many organizations but it won't
serve you to complain or make accusations at your boss or HR. "You don't
want to squander good will," says Dattner. You may only make them defensive
and angry, and further justify their decision not to promote you. Of course,
you don't need to hide your emotions either. "There's nothing wrong with
saying, 'I'm really disappointed. I wanted this to happen'," says Peterson.
But also be sure to enlist their help. Try saying something like, "How can
we work together to make sure I get promoted in the future?" And then take
action on their advice. If you were passed up because you lack substantive
expertise, look for ways to get the expertise through training or a lateral
job move. If you are thought of as slow to act or overly controlling, work
on changing that perception.

Perhaps most importantly, be empathetic and graceful to the person who did
win the promotion. "The worst thing you can do is tear down the person who
got the job," says Dattner.

Reframe the experience
Dattner suggests that rather than thinking of the experience as horrible,
frame it as an opportunity to learn and grow. "People often look back on
setbacks in their careers and see them as great moments," he says. Keep it
in perspective and try to see it from a different angle. Perhaps there were
good reasons you didn't get the job and you now have the impetus to work on
improving your skills and gathering new experiences. Maybe you were
complacent and this is an incentive to start focusing more.

Ask yourself what you really wanted from the promotion. Some people get
overly fixated on advancing because they want to prove themselves. If you
get passed over, ask yourself whether you really wanted it. Or, were you
spared something? Would the job have required more hours or entailed more
stress? If you conclude that you indeed did want it, ask yourself what about
the promotion you most coveted: the respect, the title, the money. There may
be other ways to get those things without the promotion.

Keep your network active
After a setback like this, your first instinct may be look for another job.
Sending out resumes may be in order if you were promised the promotion or if
you didn't get for reasons you positively can't change. Though the reasons
are rarely that straightforward, "you can be open to other opportunities,"
says Dattner. He suggests you keep your network open and active so the next
opportunity - either inside or outside your organization - can find you.

Principles to Remember

Do:

*	Find out why you didn't get the promotion and take action on that
feedback
*	Look to others to help you evaluate what you need to do to get a
promotion next time around 
*	Continue to network so you know of new opportunities 

Don't:

*	Act right away - wait until you've had time to cool off before you
do anything
*	Badmouth the person who got the job or those involved in making the
decision
*	Make the situation into a devastating experience - recognize it for
what it is: a disappointment

Case Study #1: From non-promotable to top 10%
Nick Simon* switched careers in his late 20s and entered a two-year
management rotation program at a telecom company. The expectation was that
at the end of two years, the program participants would be promoted to the
next level. But when the two years were up, all of Nick's peers advanced -
and he didn't. When he found out, his boss, Laura*, gave him feedback and
several examples of why he didn't make the grade. Nick disagreed with what
he heard. But, instead of getting defensive, he told her he was disappointed
and asked if they could talk about it further once he had time to process
it.

Nick then went to a few senior colleagues to ask for their advice. They told
him the feedback may feel off to him, but the perception of his performance
mattered. He needed to change the way he was seen. He spoke with Laura again
and asked for her blessing to talk to her boss - the head of the department
(as Nick said, "This is not the time to go over your boss's head.") "I spoke
to senior managers to let them know that although I found the feedback
confusing, I accepted it and asked for their support, specifically to pull
me aside if they saw me acting in ways that were not helpful," he says.

Despite how bad it felt, he knew he wasn't ready to leave the organization.
It was too early in his new career to make a productive move. "Although it
was perceived as humiliating by others, I was able to compartmentalize it,
and decided to learn what I could from the experience and move on," he says.
Six months later he applied for an international role that involved a
promotion and he got it. He thrived in this new job. "I went from
non-promotable to the top 10% can't-lose list in a year's timeframe," he
said. Looking back, Nick sees the experience as worthwhile. "I actually
don't regret it, because it helped me better understand how to navigate the
political landscape, to really trust myself and not allow others' opinions
to influence my own sense of self-worth," he says.

*Not his real name

Case Study #2: Taking action after disappointment 
Lisa Su* has worked at a Boston-based technology company for six years. She
came in as a manager and was quickly promoted to senior manager within her
first year. She expected to keep moving up at that same pace. However, many
of her colleagues warned her that the next level - director - was harder to
reach because the title came with many more benefits and responsibilities.

To get this promotion, Lisa had to be nominated by her boss. Applications
then go to a committee, which makes a recommendation to the CEO who makes
the final decision. Lisa was twice nominated for the director position. The
first time, she was not surprised to learn she didn't get it. A lot of
people don't make it the first time around. The feedback from the committee
was that she was a high performer but the economy made it difficult for them
to grant many promotions. The second time she was passed over she was more
disappointed. She saw that many of her peers were promoted, including
someone who had come into the organization after her. This time she got the
feedback that her role wasn't "director-worthy." This was difficult feedback
because she wasn't sure how she could change it. "That's been the most
frustrating thing. There's nothing specifically I can do," she says.

She turned to a friend and colleague for advice. He told her that the
company's leadership wanted directors that contribute to the bottom line. He
encouraged her to find ways to map her work directly to the company's
financial goals. Lisa recently moved to another role under a different
manager who has a reputation for helping people get promoted. He's worked
with her to increase the visibility of her work, get her credit for her
ideas, and to articulate how they contribute to the company's goals.

Lisa also keeps her network working for her. After the second denial, she
put one feeler out and several interviews, and eventually job offers, came
of it. But Lisa would rather stay with her current employer. "I really like
my job. I just don't like the fact that I didn't get the promotion," she
says. Lisa is hopeful that she will be nominated again this December.

*Not her real name

 


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<div class=3DSection1>

<h1>A good read for your career<o:p></o:p></h1>

<h1><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></h1>

<h1><a href=3D"http://blogs.hbr.org/">HBR Blog Network</a> =
<o:p></o:p></h1>

<h1 id=3DarticleTitle>Didn't Get That Promotion?<o:p></o:p></h1>

<p class=3Dbyline>by Amy Gallo&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; 9:32 AM August =
29, 2011 <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p>Getting passed over for a promotion can be disheartening and even
humiliating. Whether you thought you deserved the job or were promised =
it, no
one likes hearing that they didn&#8217;t meet the mark. The reality is =
that it
happens all the time, perhaps more so in a tough economy when companies =
hesitate
to give out promotions or raises. The good news is that it&#8217;s =
possible to
survive the experience with both your reputation and ego intact, and to =
become
a better employee because of it.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><strong>What the Experts Say</strong><br>
If you&#8217;re told you aren&#8217;t going to advance, you can&#8217;t =
let the
disappointment stunt your performance or your career. Instead, you need =
to act.
&#8220;Things will only be better in the future if we do something about
it,&#8221; says Christopher Peterson, a professor of psychology at =
University
of Michigan and a pioneer in the field of positive psychology. In fact, =
failing
to get a promotion can be a great opportunity to learn as long as you =
keep it
in perspective. &#8220;It&#8217;s possible to reframe these setbacks as
disappointment rather than devastation,&#8221; says Ben Dattner, author =
of <a
href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/Blame-Game-Determine-Success-Failure/dp/143=
916956X"><em><span
style=3D'color:blue'>The Blame Game</span></em></a> and founder of =
Dattner
Consulting. Here are five ways to not only endure the situation, but to =
make
the most of it.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><strong>Wait</strong><br>
&#8220;The first thing is to not act impulsively, emotionally or
reflexively,&#8221; says Dattner, who is also the co-author of the HBR =
article,
&#8220;<a
href=3D"http://hbr.org/2011/04/managing-yourself-can-you-handle-failure/a=
r/1">Can
You Handle Failure?</a>&#8221; Don&#8217;t compound the issue by acting =
petulant
or entitled. &#8220;It&#8217;s not always possible to make things =
better, but
it is always possible to make things worse,&#8221; adds Dattner. =
Instead, let
yourself feel the emotions that come up, the whole range of them. You =
are
likely to feel disappointment and anger but you may also feel some =
relief. Do
this long enough to cool down but don&#8217;t wallow in the feelings.
&#8220;Getting angry and depressed will not get you another =
promotion,&#8221;
says Peterson.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><strong>Gather others&#8217; perspectives</strong><br>
Peterson suggests that once you&#8217;ve had a chance to calm down, find =
out
why it happened. If possible, talk with the decision maker. Just listen =
and
don&#8217;t get defensive. &#8220;There are always reasons, even if they
aren&#8217;t justified,&#8221; says Dattner. Take this as an opportunity =
to learn
about yourself and your place in the company. Peterson cautions that you =
may
not get a straight answer from the person in charge. If that&#8217;s the =
case,
&#8220;seek out a trusted and knowledgeable person you can get advice
from,&#8221; says Peterson. You may even want to get an outside =
perspective
from a headhunter in your industry as to whether you have the right =
skills and
experience for the job. &#8220;What we think we deserve is different =
from what
others think we deserve,&#8221; says Dattner.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><strong>Act instead of complain</strong><br>
The squeaky wheel may get the grease in many organizations but it =
won&#8217;t
serve you to complain or make accusations at your boss or HR. &#8220;You
don&#8217;t want to squander good will,&#8221; says Dattner. You may =
only make
them defensive and angry, and further justify their decision not to =
promote
you. Of course, you don&#8217;t need to hide your emotions either.
&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing wrong with saying, &#8216;I&#8217;m really
disappointed. I wanted this to happen&#8217;,&#8221; says Peterson. But =
also be
sure to enlist their help. Try saying something like, &#8220;How can we =
work
together to make sure I get promoted in the future?&#8221; And then take =
action
on their advice. If you were passed up because you lack substantive =
expertise,
look for ways to get the expertise through training or a lateral job =
move. If
you are thought of as slow to act or overly controlling, work on =
changing that
perception.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Perhaps most importantly, be empathetic and graceful to the person =
who did
win the promotion. &#8220;The worst thing you can do is tear down the =
person
who got the job,&#8221; says Dattner.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><strong>Reframe the experience</strong><br>
Dattner suggests that rather than thinking of the experience as =
horrible, frame
it as an opportunity to learn and grow. &#8220;People often look back on
setbacks in their careers and see them as great moments,&#8221; he says. =
Keep
it in perspective and try to see it from a different angle. Perhaps =
there were
good reasons you didn&#8217;t get the job and you now have the impetus =
to work
on improving your skills and gathering new experiences. Maybe you were
complacent and this is an incentive to start focusing =
more.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Ask yourself what you really wanted from the promotion. Some people =
get
overly fixated on advancing because they want to prove themselves. If =
you get
passed over, ask yourself whether you really wanted it. Or, were you =
spared
something? Would the job have required more hours or entailed more =
stress? If
you conclude that you indeed did want it, ask yourself what about the =
promotion
you most coveted: the respect, the title, the money. There may be other =
ways to
get those things without the promotion.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><strong>Keep your network active</strong><br>
After a setback like this, your first instinct may be look for another =
job.
Sending out resumes may be in order if you were promised the promotion =
or if
you didn&#8217;t get for reasons you positively can&#8217;t change. =
Though the
reasons are rarely that straightforward, &#8220;you can be open to other
opportunities,&#8221; says Dattner. He suggests you keep your network =
open and
active so the next opportunity &#8212; either inside or outside your
organization &#8212; can find you.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><strong>Principles to Remember</strong><o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Do:<o:p></o:p></p>

<ul type=3Ddisc>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
     mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'>Find out why you didn&#8217;t get the =
promotion
     and take action on that feedback<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
     mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'>Look to others to help you evaluate what =
you need
     to do to get a promotion next time around <o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
     mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'>Continue to network so you know of new
     opportunities <o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>

<p>Don&#8217;t:<o:p></o:p></p>

<ul type=3Ddisc>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
     mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>Act right away &#8212; wait until =
you&#8217;ve
     had time to cool off before you do anything<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
     mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>Badmouth the person who got the job or =
those
     involved in making the decision<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
     mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>Make the situation into a devastating =
experience
     &#8212; recognize it for what it is: a =
disappointment<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Case Study #1: From non-promotable to top 10%</strong><br>
Nick Simon* switched careers in his late 20s and entered a two-year =
management
rotation program at a telecom company. The expectation was that at the =
end of
two years, the program participants would be promoted to the next level. =
But
when the two years were up, all of Nick&#8217;s peers advanced &#8212; =
and he
didn&#8217;t. When he found out, his boss, Laura*, gave him feedback and
several examples of why he didn&#8217;t make the grade. Nick disagreed =
with
what he heard. But, instead of getting defensive, he told her he was
disappointed and asked if they could talk about it further once he had =
time to
process it.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Nick then went to a few senior colleagues to ask for their advice. =
They told
him the feedback may feel off to him, but the perception of his =
performance
mattered. He needed to change the way he was seen. He spoke with Laura =
again
and asked for her blessing to talk to her boss &#8212; the head of the
department (as Nick said, &#8220;This is not the time to go over your
boss&#8217;s head.&#8221;) &#8220;I spoke to senior managers to let them =
know
that although I found the feedback confusing, I accepted it and asked =
for their
support, specifically to pull me aside if they saw me acting in ways =
that were
not helpful,&#8221; he says.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Despite how bad it felt, he knew he wasn&#8217;t ready to leave the
organization. It was too early in his new career to make a productive =
move.
&#8220;Although it was perceived as humiliating by others, I was able to
compartmentalize it, and decided to learn what I could from the =
experience and
move on,&#8221; he says. Six months later he applied for an =
international role
that involved a promotion and he got it. He thrived in this new job. =
&#8220;I
went from non-promotable to the top 10% can&#8217;t-lose list in a =
year&#8217;s
timeframe,&#8221; he said. Looking back, Nick sees the experience as =
worthwhile.
&#8220;I actually don&#8217;t regret it, because it helped me better =
understand
how to navigate the political landscape, to really trust myself and not =
allow
others&#8217; opinions to influence my own sense of self-worth,&#8221; =
he says.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>*Not his real name<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><strong>Case Study #2: Taking action after disappointment =
</strong><br>
Lisa Su* has worked at a Boston-based technology company for six years. =
She
came in as a manager and was quickly promoted to senior manager within =
her
first year. She expected to keep moving up at that same pace. However, =
many of
her colleagues warned her that the next level &#8212; director &#8212; =
was
harder to reach because the title came with many more benefits and
responsibilities.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>To get this promotion, Lisa had to be nominated by her boss. =
Applications
then go to a committee, which makes a recommendation to the CEO who =
makes the
final decision. Lisa was twice nominated for the director position. The =
first
time, she was not surprised to learn she didn&#8217;t get it. A lot of =
people
don&#8217;t make it the first time around. The feedback from the =
committee was
that she was a high performer but the economy made it difficult for them =
to
grant many promotions. The second time she was passed over she was more
disappointed. She saw that many of her peers were promoted, including =
someone
who had come into the organization after her. This time she got the =
feedback
that her role wasn&#8217;t &#8220;director-worthy.&#8221; This was =
difficult
feedback because she wasn&#8217;t sure how she could change it.
&#8220;That&#8217;s been the most frustrating thing. There&#8217;s =
nothing
specifically I can do,&#8221; she says.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>She turned to a friend and colleague for advice. He told her that the
company&#8217;s leadership wanted directors that contribute to the =
bottom line.
He encouraged her to find ways to map her work directly to the =
company&#8217;s
financial goals. Lisa recently moved to another role under a different =
manager
who has a reputation for helping people get promoted. He&#8217;s worked =
with
her to increase the visibility of her work, get her credit for her =
ideas, and
to articulate how they contribute to the company&#8217;s =
goals.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Lisa also keeps her network working for her. After the second denial, =
she
put one feeler out and several interviews, and eventually job offers, =
came of
it. But Lisa would rather stay with her current employer. &#8220;I =
really like
my job. I just don&#8217;t like the fact that I didn&#8217;t get the
promotion,&#8221; she says. Lisa is hopeful that she will be nominated =
again
this December.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>*Not her real name<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

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