Question
The Technical Director quit and my manager was promoted to that position. I was promised that there would be room for promotion when I was hired, however I was just passed over for promotion. Someone else in the department has been promoted to be my manager.
I like my former manager (now the Director) and I would like to continue to work for him, and not work for this other “peer” who is now my new boss. Do you have any suggestions on how to handle this? Should I be direct with the new Director and say that I want to report to him, hint around at it, or keep my mouth shut? Should I read between the lines and start looking for another job?
Nick’s Reply
Ah, you’ve got move-over-itis. That’s when you’re told to move over because someone else is getting what you want. There’s no easy answer to this one. There are too many factors that you might not know about, and even more that I don’t know about. But move over need not mean game over.
Let me try and give you some things to consider; then you’ll have to decide how to proceed.
Passed over for promotion
Either (a) you didn’t get the job because they don’t think you can handle it (one problem), or (b) your new manager is more qualified than you are (a different problem).
Let’s pursue (a) first. Regarding the management position:
- Do you understand the management work that needs to be done? Are you sure? Or, do your bosses have reason to suspect you don’t?
- Are you able to demonstrate that you can do the work? Think about both the day-to-day functions of the job as well as the more strategic requirements. In what ways have you demonstrated your management skills? (Don’t say they didn’t ask you; they never will. It’s up to you.)
- Could you do the work the way the company wants it done? This relates to style, attitude, work ethic, philosophy, and your willingness to “enlist” as a member of a team. Would you be a manager who fits, or one who doesn’t quite?
- Could you do the work profitably for the company? That is, what would your efforts as a manager bring to the bottom line? Yep, I’m looking for an actual figure. A good manager understands costs and profitability. Your estimate might be way off, but you’ve got to be able to show that you can come up with a figure you can defend. Have you thought about that job in such detail?
- Finally, would the job be good for you? Would it “profit” your career and your wallet? Not all technical people are management material; and not all managers are great staff members.
You might want to talk to your old boss confidentially, and ask why you were passed over. It’s a bit of a risk; but so is keeping your mouth shut, right?
Without being defensive (or upset) try to discuss each of the questions above. Listen to your former boss’s assessment. This could help you get into a better position for the next promotion opportunity.
Try again for a promotion?
Let’s go to (b). If the new manager is better at the work than you would be, the case is closed. But if you really want a management job down the road, a new case opens, and I think you really need to talk to the powers that be.
Don’t go crying sour grapes; it’s too late for that particular job. But it’s time to find out what they’re looking for in a manager. And it’s a good time to make it clear that you want management. You must be ready to justify yourself: use a business plan.
Again, your old boss could be your best ally if you approach him in a candid but professional way. It sounds like you have a good relationship with him. I’d bring it up over a casual lunch off-site. Don’t complain — learn. Let him be a dutch uncle. Ask for advice, not explanations. Then listen.
Move over yourself
Move-over-itis leaves you terribly itchy to do something. I get that. But you should consider your options carefully.
You’ve been passed over for promotion, so maybe you should move over. Your idea of seeking a job with your old manager may be a good solution. It could get you into a new domain with fresh responsibilities and with a new opportunity to demonstrate your value to the company. And, it may get you away from the new manager, whom you don’t seem to like working for. (Is that your competitive nature talking, or your disappointment, or is the manager really not worth working for?)
As you note, the final option is to start looking for another employer. In this case, I suggest you honestly assess what happened at this company. Don’t move on to a repeat experience.
All these questions, eh? I hope one or more of them lead you toward your goal (or toward a new goal).
What’s your experience with promotions? Have you ever been “bumped” by another employee who got the job instead? Is being passed over a good enough reason to move on? Is getting promoted a matter of “who you know” or is it about abilities?
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There is a third possibility which is that OP is too valuable in their current position. I’ve been been passed over and left to find a promotion only to hear that my old company had to hire two or three people to replace me.
It’s short-sighted on the part of the company because they will lose you in that position either way. They get to decide if you’re leaving the position or the company though.
This definitely is a possibility. I was hired as a software manager in an organization and about 6 months after I started found out that one of my developers had applied for the same position but was passed over. They were so good at what they did that the director that hired me wanted them to stay in their developer role and so didn’t promote them.
For personal reasons I ended up only staying there for a year and when I left, talked with the new director and suggested that the developer be assigned as the interim manager while they looked for my replacement. They ended up getting the official position and managed the software group for the next decade until the project was over.
This has happened to me twice. “You have to be in this role and we will not promote you”.
Some months later after I was in a different job, “it took us 4 months to replace you and we had to hire two people”.
In one instance it was because the promotion was reserved for the best “woman, black or LGBTQ candidate” – someone advised me to wear a frock to work. Ha!
Companies are exploitative and do not want to promote good performers. Take your career in your own hands and fire the company.
That’s an important possibility to be aware of! Thanks for discussing it.
GE pioneered the dual ladder concept maybe 60 years ago in which technies make more than their managers. If not at your employer, leave. Another reason to always keep looking.
Nick, I’m curious what your perspective is on this.
In the military, the way to get promoted (in the lower enlisted ranks, anyway) is to start doing the work of the next higher rank. This shows initiative and provides an opportunity to learn (i.e. screw up) with little risk. And there are plenty of opportunities to step up, if you’re looking for them: your NCO can’t be everywhere all the time.
In the civilian world this can be a bit more challenging. Opportunities to be a manager don’t pop up like they do in the military, and the culture isn’t the same either, so the actual manager might see someone stepping up when they’re busy as inappropriate or even a challenge to their authority. (One can offset this by going directly to the manager; explaining the situation, the actions you took, and your thought process; and asking whether you made the right decision.)
It’s also difficult to convince employees to step up in this way. “Why should I do a job I’m not being paid to do?” is a common attitude. And I understand it. After all, the likelihood you’ll be promoted is slim, and promotion opportunities don’t come along very often so you could do extra work for a long time and not see any benefit.
Contrast this with the military, which is huge and is constantly promoting into the middle-tier NCO ranks. You may have to move to a different part of the world, but there is no shortage of opportunity for promotion.
What’s your take on this? What’s the best way to step up and demonstrate managerial ability without stepping on toes? Are employees right to be cynical about doing extra work for the same pay?
The difference between the Military and Civilian, Military has pension benefits (in the public sector there is some of that) benefits accrue and with higher rank helps there The rank of NCO (no chance on outside) has some benefits. Don’t find that in the private sector although .
I worked for a company like that in the ’80s.
And managers were trained to encourage this.
It really cut down on the “too valuable to promote,” as a store could run itself.
@Daniel: I’m sure there are differences, but no matter who the employer is, if they don’t value initiative I think you have to question working there at all. There are many ways to demonstrate initiative, though it helps to be thoughtful and not step on toes. I like the idea of getting your boss’s blessing and letting the boss know what your intentions are. It’s sad that a lot of companies ignore the chance to promote from within because initiative scares them.
Nick, I think you’re leaving out the biggest reason by far. In my experience at a few Fortune 500 companies, the single largest factor has been the employee’s connection and friendship with the higher-up or hiring authority.
Competence, qualifications, ability to do the job, and ability to generate revenue/profit are nothing compared to your likeability and how close you are with your boss. People promoting their buddies is the single greatest damper on corporate profitability and revenue growth in this country.
I’ve witnessed multiple employees come up with ideas that made their companies hundreds of millions of dollars, with exceptional leadership ability, a strong education, and all of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to excel in the next few promotions. Yet they can’t even get into management because the bosses are promoting their friends. It’s been insane.
> I’ve witnessed multiple employees come up with ideas that made their companies hundreds of millions of dollars, with exceptional leadership ability, a strong education, and all of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to excel in the next few promotions. Yet they can’t even get into management because the bosses are promoting their friends. It’s been insane.
Quit those companies. Life is too short to work for dip$#!7s
@Robert: Agreed, but I think it’s best to do both. Offer good ideas AND cultivate good relationships. Companies that practice empty favoritism wind up in trouble over the long run.
I agree with Robert. I was glad he raised the point, as I was about to write to suggest this as a fourth reason for passover (as it were). In my long career in IT, in both large and small companies, I’d say at least 75% of promotions I observed were based on favoritism, nepotism, loyalty and the old-boys-network – especially if privately-held. Moreover, it was rare that people who got such undeserved promotions failed, even if they were clearly not qualified. I also noticed that such people were usually extremely skilled at manipulating perceptions and appearances, blaming any failings of their department on their subordinates and getting away with it. Mostly their path was just ever-upward, at least until there was a major shakeup, like the benefactor leaving (in which case they simply followed them), or an acquisition. In the latter case, usually everyone was out anyway, so no Karma operated either.
Sorry if this sounds cynical, but in my experience it is often reality. Admittedly not always. I’ll also admit this phenomenon is more likely in boom times (like the leadup to dot-bomb).
One does wonder how business can operate effectively long-term if such is as rife as I observed…but somehow it usually seems to. Maybe not at an optimal level, but a good-enough level. Yes, really long term this puts the enterprise in jeopardy, but that is small comfort to those outside the favored circle.
Nick always and legitimately focuses on how the employment system is broken, but not for this sort of reason, which I think is another.
The old saying is: “people are promoted to their highest level of incompetence”
Yeah, I believe the term for that is the “Peter Principle.” It’s actually a really good book by Laurence Peter.
I’d argue that it gets even worse than that, where competence to perform the current job or promotion is often irrelevant. Much of the blame rolls downhill, and people are rarely held accountable.
Long ago I worked at a company where there were huge layoffs. The owner announced that and foolishly asked if there were any questions. I asked if he had considered the competence and productivity of those laid off. His reply was a simple and unembarrassed, “No.”
A breakthrough moment for me in a similar situation: my boss was moving up and he picked the other candidate “T” to succeed him, while worrying that he could lose the candidate he didn’t select. I told him I didn’t envy the choice he had to make, but that I was committed to staying and helping my former peer new boss succeed, which I did. Within a year, T left the company for a more senior public company role and shortly after invited me to follow him, with a significant step-up in compensation and responsibility for me.
Using energy being disgruntled has always seemed wasteful to me, if your organizations is so flawed that you are cynical and deeply unhappy, start looking for a better fit and don’t wait for a missed promotion to do something.
I have moved to other jobs with colleagues who have taken up new roles twice in my career. Both times got a promotion compared to current job that was stringing me along, which made the decision making that much easier.
It’s a good career bet to stay in touch with co-workers that move on. Good to see some examples!
Being told that you could get a promotion when you were hired is meaningless. No one remembers. My observation is that no one gets promoted unless they ask for it over and over again. They need to mention this at every review period and even at casual encounters with the boss or boss’s boss.
The only truth that exists in big companies is what’s written down in the HR system. And even that is mostly fiction authored by managers based on their biases and opinions. The left hand usually doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. Plus there is all the departures and rotations and role changes. So if it’s not written down in the HR system, you’re not getting a “promised promotion”.