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Who
or what is to blame if you are not getting the
promotion you want and think you deserve?
Many factors, in various combinations, can be the
cause, but one thing is almost certain. Like it or
not, you and you alone must take most of the blame
if your career is stuck on "hold."
There is valuable insight into all of this in
Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." Cassius is advising
Brutus as they consider their ambitions for bigger
and better things: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not
in our stars but in ourselves, that we are
underlings."
Let's examine four of the more frequent reasons (or
excuses, as the case may be) given to explain why
people are not promoted and the courses of action
that can be taken to deal with them.
Four Reasons
Promotions Are Stymied
1. You fail to win the
promotion because you are not qualified to take on
the bigger responsibilities. Two things can be
happening here.
One
is you have the potential to learn the new
responsibilities, but you haven't made the effort.
Hopefully, your employer has a training program. If
so, get enrolled without further delay. If there is
no such program, it is up to you to find a way to
learn how to handle the bigger job. Study and
practice on your own time. Continue to be successful
on the job at hand. Be patient, but persistent.
Convince your boss that you are ready and willing to
work for the promotion and that you can handle it.
The
second condition is the job you covet is simply
beyond your capacity. You must accept the fact that
you, like every other human beings, have limits to
your capabilities. You have at least two options:
make the best of where you are; or strike out in a
different and more realistic direction where your
abilities can be put to better use.
2. You can't be
promoted because there is no one to take over your
present responsibilities.
Your employer should have a training program to
provide lines of succession for all key positions.
But, if your place of work is not so prepared, you
still can't place the blame for your lack of
promotion on someone or something else.
If
you are stymied for lack of a replacement, it is up
to you to make certain that at least one person is
ready to step in and take your place. Pick out a
likely candidate and train him or her to fill your
shoes when you get promoted.
3. "They" don't know
what you have been doing; how much you can do; how
ready you are for promotion.
It
is often said, "There is no limit to the good a man
can do if he doesn't care who gets the credit." That
is a laudable ideal, but unfortunately, it doesn't
square with reality when it is applied in the
competitive world of work. Think of yourself as a
product that must be sold to advance your career.
This means the buyers (i.e., your superiors who make
decisions about your career) need to be made fully
aware of your good qualities and your potential for
growth. Do a good job, be prepared for advancement
and communicate the facts.
4. You have tried
repeatedly to get a promotion. Everything is locked
up, nobody is leaving, the business is stagnant.
There is no room to grow.
You
are still the key. If you are certain this is the
situation, your career issue is more clearly defined
than in most instances. You can recognize that you
are stuck. Then there are two things you can do.
One, consider the pluses in your current job. There
are always some benefits. Will they continue at
least as they are? Are there some personal
considerations dictating that you stay where you are
for now? (Look twice to be sure they are not being
used as convenient excuses for inaction.) Are the
benefits worth the price you are paying to live on a
plateau below what you believe to be your potential?
If so, you can stay put and hope for things to get
better.
Second, if your unmet ambitions are burning you up
inside, make a move to another organization where
you will have opportunities to advance.
The
first step toward getting promoted is to understand
that the credit or the blame for your career and
where it goes is strictly yours.
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