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How To Get Promoted -- When Promotions Aren't (Free Chapter From New E-book "No Sucking-UP!"
Many times job promotions turn out to be "demotions." There are
24 critical questions you should ask before seeking or accepting
a job promotion. If the new job can't satisfy these criteria
turn it down cold!
Sometimes a promotion might actually wind-up being the worst
thing that could happen to you! Really, it's true. A good friend
of mine won a promotion he had been planning and hoping for over
a long period of time. He was ecstatic.
The first year on the new job he lost more than $20k of income
moving from an hourly wage to salary. He worked even more
overtime, was stressed-out, (which carried over to his family
life,) and resulted in a whole host of other troubles.
It didn't take him long to decide that the "promotion" brought
with it a new title and a lot of headaches he had never
anticipated.
You really need to ask yourself if the promotion you seek will
somehow improve the quality of your life and those you care
about enough to justify accepting it. There needs to be some
harmony between your work life, and your home or private life,
and what you expect or desire from each. If a promotion costs
you too much of what you care about most, run from it, or
re-create and redefine it in a way that works for you.
Critical Questions To Ask Before Seeking Or Accepting A
Promotion Are:
1. What do I value most and will the promotion give me more of
that?
2. Will I be happier?
3. Will my relationships suffer or be improved (family,
co-workers, and/or friends, etc.?)
4. Will I be more secure in my job?
5. Will I earn more or less money? (Don't forget to consider the
differences between hourly wages and base salary pay.)
6. Will I have to work much more than I want to?
7. Will I retain at least the same level of benefits I currently
enjoy?
8. Will there be opportunities to advance further?
9. Is this position temporary or enduring?
10. Is this position respected and needed long-term?
11. Who will replace me, and are they competent?
12. Whom will I be replacing, where are they going, and why?
13. Will this promotion actually help me and the company in the
long-run?
14. Am I exceeding my level of competence by taking this job? If
so, what will I need to do to become competent to fulfill this
new role?
15. What is the "political climate" like surrounding this new
position?
16. Who will be my new boss and what is he or she like?
17. Is there a merger looming, or likely, and how will this
effect me?
18. Will I have to re-locate, and am I open to that?
19. Who will I now be supervising or accountable for, and what
are they like?
20. What is the history of this position? If this position is
constantly being "re-filled," why?
21. Will the level of accountability I have match the rewards I
receive?
22. Who will decide whether or not I get the job, and how is my
relationship with them?
23. Can I leave the job without being demoted or punished in
some way if it turns out to not be a good fit?
24. What will be left undone when I leave my current position,
who will complete it, and how involved will I need to be in that
process?
Maybe that seems like a long list of questions but I hope you
know the answers to each of them before you push hard for a
promotion. You really do need to know if the new job is better
than what you have now. Finding the answers to some of theses
questions can be a bit of a tricky process, but as long as you
proceed cautiously, it will be well worth your time.
Whether you like Dick Cheney or George Bush, or agree with them
politically, you have to sort of admire the way Dick Cheney has
said a resounding "No" to seeking the office of President of the
United States. Instead of toying with the idea of becoming
President, Vice President Cheney has repeatedly said "I serve at
the pleasure of the President" and "I do not desire, nor will I
accept, your nomination for President." Could he have been any
clearer on the subject? It seems fair to say that VP Cheney has
answered the questions above in his own way. Perhaps, like many
of us, he is glad someone else is doing that job.
Being President of the United States isn't for most of us. Half
the people you govern don't agree with you most of the time, and
the other half only agrees with you some of the time. High-level
positions in most companies work much the same way. You have to
grow a pretty "thick skin" to thrive and be effective in such
environments.
Very recently, two friends of mine working at different
companies in two different states both decided they were tired
of their jobs and quit. Both men were very impressive and highly
regarded in their respective occupations. After years of holding
the highest and second highest positions in their companies,
both of them declared, in effect, "I've had enough of this" and
left long-standing careers.
What would drive people to this end? I'll summarize their
answers to give you a sense of why people burn-out and feel as
though they must move on even when they have been promoted to
the highest levels.
The Following Elements Contributed To The Eventual Burn-Out
Of Both Men:
*They were working at least 60 and usually 80+ hours per week.
They both felt like if they worked any less they would fail to
meet the responsibilities of their positions. Sadly, even with
the extra hours worked, they never felt like they were even
close to being caught-up.
*They were good delegators, but simply had more work than
they
could possibly do. Their key staff members were also
overwhelmed, so they could not off-load any more work onto them.
There simply was no relief for them.
*They received extreme pressure from corporate execs to make
their companies more and more profitable in order to please
shareholders. In truth, there is only so much that can be done,
and only so many hours in a day in which to do those things.
Unfortunately, many corporate executives do not agree with this
analysis.
*They carried the "weight of the world" on their shoulders, and
found it hard to think of anything but their jobs. Even when
they were home (on occasion,) with their families they found it
almost impossible to think of anything other than their duties
at work.
*They had unreasonable expectations for themselves and equally
unreasonable expectations placed on them by corporate
leadership. They were, in fact, destined to fall short even with
all of their talents and passion for the business, and after all
they could do.
Both gentlemen in this example are very good men who have
incredible work ethics and solid characters. They both deserve
medals for helping their companies evolve and keep thousands of
workers employed. They both did the jobs they were hired to do
with passion and integrity.
The purpose, again, behind telling you about these good men is
that corporations are increasingly expecting people to give-over
their entire lives for the benefit of the company. In search of
the almighty dollar, many corporate execs are very uninterested
in the fact that people are being pushed far beyond reasonable
expectations. Every corporate exec and perhaps every shareholder
knows that even high-level managers are completely replaceable.
It is almost as though it has become understood that leaders and
managers on every level are like race cars. You run them hard
for awhile, replace only the parts, fuels, and lubricants that
you absolutely must, and when they have lost their zip you get a
new one.
If you are interested in high-level positions with great
responsibility you should know this "use 'em and lose 'em"
practice seems to have become the norm. In my travels I haven't
seen any signs of this changing in the near future.
If all you learn from this entire manual is that you don't want
a promotion after all, then your money and time have been wisely
spent. Far too many people set their sights on the goal of being
promoted before they investigate what that really means. It is
generally harder to go back to the job you had before you were
promoted once you're in your new position. Consider all the many
ramifications of your decision before putting a lot of effort
into being promoted.
Some promotions even come with implied and, (more or less
mandatory) future promotions. If you know this is the case, you
need to really consider how desirable the second or third
position in sequence would be, as you might be obligated to
accept it. If it is completely undesirable, you may want to
reconsider the path you have chosen.
It's very common for assistant managers to become managers and
managers to become senior management or even presidents. If you
can see the direct route to a place or position you don't want
to occupy, a course-correction may be warranted. You'll either
need to set things up in a way that won't take you to the
undesirable position, or choose a different career path. There
truly may be no going back.
This scenario is quite common: you, as assistant manager, are
the natural choice to replace the next higher level boss. The
management team is probably grooming you for this position, and
will be disappointed if you won't accept it when offered. In
addition, you will be the best qualified person for the job.
Unless you can accept the terms of a promotion fully, you might
be better off declining it cold. In the end, getting a promotion
that gives you more money and a great title, but makes you
miserable isn't worth it.
Summary Points
1. Some promotions cost you so much of what you value that they
are actually DEMOTIONS.
2. You should always ask the "24 Critical Questions" before
accepting a promotion.
3. Hi-level positions are extremely demanding and require "thick
skin" emotionally and politically to endure, let alone thrive in.
4. Professional burn-out is a risk associated with advanced
positions of responsibility.
5. Many corporations treat senior managers as expendable
commodities and replace them frequently.
6. Everyone is completely replaceable in every company
regardless of rank.
7. Just learning why you don't want a promotion is a worthy
undertaking.
8. Many positions practically require their occupants to accept
higher positions. If a promotion eventually leads to a position
you don't want, you may need to choose a different career path
as there may be no going back.
9. Getting a promotion that gives you more money and a great
title, but makes you miserable isn't worth it.
I hope this chapter helped you consider what a promotion might
really mean to you. It is always good to go in with your eyes
wide open.
All the Best,
Bill
www.nosuckingup.com
About the author:
Bill Hanover is author of "No Sucking-Up! How to Get Promoted
Without Sucking-Up." He has been a management consultant for the
last 10 years and holds and M.S. in psychology. To learn more
about Bill or his new e-book "No Sucking-Up!" you may visit
www.nosuckingup.com You may also visit Bill's Lean Manufacturing
consulting website at www.tpslean.com
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