things to do...
...when passed up for a promotion:
• Sit in stunned disbelief.
• Listen to “feedback.” Reject “feedback” completely.
• Ask for honest freedback, knowing full well you’re not getting any.
• Get a response of “I can’t say” when you ask who’s getting the promotion instead. (You’ll find out thru the grapevine later.)
• Try to carry on like it doesn’t bother you.
• Walk aimlessly backstage. Curse profusely. Throw things.
• Think about the ramifications.
• Think about what everyone’s going to say.
• Think about the people who made the decision, and what it implies about how they must really feel about you (in spite of anything they’ve told you).
• Look back on how hard you’ve worked, and what an obvious choice you thought you were.
• Remember all the times you supported management on things you couldn’t possibly disagree more with.
• Remember every issue you confronted and every challenge they gave you, and how you rose to the occasion every time, without fail.
• Realize that your bosses are spineless idiots incapable of making good decisions.
• Drive home in silence. When you get there, throw more things.
• Crash on bed in exhaustion and anger. Try to sleep. (Not possible.)
• Shower, head back to work. Try to act like you care about work. (Not possible.)
• Have first honest conversation about what happened with a trusted colleague. Cry for the first time.
• Contemplate hypocrisy of anyone who calls you “quiet” whose only attempts at opening a discourse last ten seconds maximum.
• Go home again and contemplate never coming back.
• Head back the next day anyway, knowing of no current openings for college graduates lying on their beds in the fetal position.
• Let things get to you that absolutely shouldn’t get to you.
• Finally learn thru the grapevine who got the promotion.
• Detest the situation even more now that you know it’s a good friend of yours.
• Hate the inevitable wedge it’s inevitably going to drive between the two of you.
• Do anything to get away from work, while at work. More aimless walking.
• While loving your friend and maintaining that it’s absolutely nothing personal, think about how much more experienced and qualified for the role you are.
• Consider the issue of geography, and that you managers are lazy. They’re not prone to wandering far from the comforts of the office. Your friend works closer. You work farther. Therefore, you’re less visible.
• Compare track records. Yours has a few blemishes, but you’re a proven leader who’s handled major responsibility. Now look at your friend’s. Not proven, not experienced… but theirs is squeaky clean. Conclude your managers must devalue experience and know-how in favor of a spotless record.
• Again, detest how screwed up it is that you’re weighing your friend’s relative merits against yours. They had nothing to do with this.
• Do something to cheer yourself up. Grill a steak. Drink a lot of beer.
• Wake up at four in the morning with massive indigestion from the aforementioned steak and beer. Don’t get back to sleep. Think more about work.
• Head back in. Make awkward small talk with a manager for the first time since hearing the news. Put on a brave face. Keep pretending it’s okay.
• Consider speaking to the particular manager whose decision this ultimately was. Decide not to, considering they’re probably not very sympathetic. They’ve lied to your face before, what’s to stop them from doing it again?
• Go home, get ready to start a long, painful weekend. Reconsider decision to avoid boss and head back into work to talk about what’s going on. Decide not to, considering it’s late, you’re tired and should probably take some time to outline the best talking points anyhow.
• After great soul searching (and sarcastic list making), identify that you’ve reached the point where job must turn into career, and you’re determined to make this happen regardless of whether or not current management is on board.
• Remember that you’re never trapped. Your options are always open. Quit moping and start exploring them.
• Sit in stunned disbelief.
• Listen to “feedback.” Reject “feedback” completely.
• Ask for honest freedback, knowing full well you’re not getting any.
• Get a response of “I can’t say” when you ask who’s getting the promotion instead. (You’ll find out thru the grapevine later.)
• Try to carry on like it doesn’t bother you.
• Walk aimlessly backstage. Curse profusely. Throw things.
• Think about the ramifications.
• Think about what everyone’s going to say.
• Think about the people who made the decision, and what it implies about how they must really feel about you (in spite of anything they’ve told you).
• Look back on how hard you’ve worked, and what an obvious choice you thought you were.
• Remember all the times you supported management on things you couldn’t possibly disagree more with.
• Remember every issue you confronted and every challenge they gave you, and how you rose to the occasion every time, without fail.
• Realize that your bosses are spineless idiots incapable of making good decisions.
• Drive home in silence. When you get there, throw more things.
• Crash on bed in exhaustion and anger. Try to sleep. (Not possible.)
• Shower, head back to work. Try to act like you care about work. (Not possible.)
• Have first honest conversation about what happened with a trusted colleague. Cry for the first time.
• Contemplate hypocrisy of anyone who calls you “quiet” whose only attempts at opening a discourse last ten seconds maximum.
• Go home again and contemplate never coming back.
• Head back the next day anyway, knowing of no current openings for college graduates lying on their beds in the fetal position.
• Let things get to you that absolutely shouldn’t get to you.
• Finally learn thru the grapevine who got the promotion.
• Detest the situation even more now that you know it’s a good friend of yours.
• Hate the inevitable wedge it’s inevitably going to drive between the two of you.
• Do anything to get away from work, while at work. More aimless walking.
• While loving your friend and maintaining that it’s absolutely nothing personal, think about how much more experienced and qualified for the role you are.
• Consider the issue of geography, and that you managers are lazy. They’re not prone to wandering far from the comforts of the office. Your friend works closer. You work farther. Therefore, you’re less visible.
• Compare track records. Yours has a few blemishes, but you’re a proven leader who’s handled major responsibility. Now look at your friend’s. Not proven, not experienced… but theirs is squeaky clean. Conclude your managers must devalue experience and know-how in favor of a spotless record.
• Again, detest how screwed up it is that you’re weighing your friend’s relative merits against yours. They had nothing to do with this.
• Do something to cheer yourself up. Grill a steak. Drink a lot of beer.
• Wake up at four in the morning with massive indigestion from the aforementioned steak and beer. Don’t get back to sleep. Think more about work.
• Head back in. Make awkward small talk with a manager for the first time since hearing the news. Put on a brave face. Keep pretending it’s okay.
• Consider speaking to the particular manager whose decision this ultimately was. Decide not to, considering they’re probably not very sympathetic. They’ve lied to your face before, what’s to stop them from doing it again?
• Go home, get ready to start a long, painful weekend. Reconsider decision to avoid boss and head back into work to talk about what’s going on. Decide not to, considering it’s late, you’re tired and should probably take some time to outline the best talking points anyhow.
• After great soul searching (and sarcastic list making), identify that you’ve reached the point where job must turn into career, and you’re determined to make this happen regardless of whether or not current management is on board.
• Remember that you’re never trapped. Your options are always open. Quit moping and start exploring them.
posted by Adam at 1:52 AM
