Promotions in the Workplace

I often speak to folks about their jobs, performance, wants, and dislikes. Many times I get lots of wants and a sense of entitlement from folks who are in no position of expecting the rewards they seek. 

No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience.

John Locke

I’ve learned that after I walk away from those conversations I need to ponder things internally using my own life as a reflection. More times than I’d like to admit I found that at one point or another I have felt the same and that someone has observed me feel entitled and aggravated because I didn’t get my way. 

Like Steve Jobs used to say, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” In reflecting on myself I have been able to work on becoming my best version. I’ve encountered folks who felt they deserved a promotion because they had seniority (a privileged position earned by reason of longer service or higher rank. Oxford Dictionary). Even though they were not providing better service or proving to have  better skills. In reflecting on a situation like this, I realized I’ve been there before. I’ve been the guy that thought I deserved the promotion because I had been in line longer but I was passed on.

In my life experiences, I have learned to be the obvious choice, to listen to all advice from my superiors and act on it immediately, to add more value than expected in my duties. I’ve discovered that this is actually the only way to earn my promotions. I’m not against asking for a promotion or a raise, but if I have to ask, I probably don’t deserve it. Have I been passed up for promotions I felt I absolutely deserved and worked my tail off for? Absolutely. But in those cases I had to trust that there was a reason and a purpose for me not acquiring those. Sometimes it is the universe telling me to move on and other times is the universe telling me to man up and become better at my job. 

I remember clearly in the beginning of my managing career being passed up for promotions. Although, I felt I deserved them and I worked harder than the ones who got them. I worked on getting better. I recall a conversation my favorite boss (also the toughest) had with me the day I was finally going to get the opportunity I had been working years to attain. After he informed me a rookie I helped train was the one actually getting “my job” he told me, “My biggest concern today is not to lose you.” My response was that although I was let down, I still love my job and I have a family to support, not to worry that I won’t be leaving anytime soon. That day I realized that I really needed to understand what my boss was looking for rather than what I thought I was doing.

I ended up outlasting the one who got the job and shortly after I was promoted by a different boss. Not before I was passed up again though. I pouted for sure but I can’t say I’ve learned more any other time than on those occasions when either I was passed up or when I’ve been given negative feedback. Thankfully that hasn’t been too often but it has been impactful. 

Many years later in a different company I was actually training for a job I got. At the end of my training, the same man who passed on me many years before had been watching me train in this new company and he approached me with a sparkle in his eye and complimented me on how impressed he was by me. Now, I have to admit that although I felt like “finally, he sees my worth,” I also wondered if it was because I matured throughout those years and became the obvious choice.

Now, if I want the promotion I make sure I follow a few steps;

• Add Value – If you’re going to provide the same service as everyone else then don’t be mad when you get passed up. Add more value than was expected of you. Be relentless in your pursuit to make the business flourish.

• Be the Obvious Choice – You never want to have to cross your fingers when the next opportunity comes up. Employers want loyal, energetic, self motivated, and self managed leaders working for them. Make sure you stand out. Don’t ever miss a beat. I’m 46 and I’ve never called out, Ever. I’m committed to my work, always. When I am not, I gotta go. Ironically I learned this step from my least favorite boss.

• Never let my Boss work – I see folks all the time delegating things to their bosses, asking petty favors from them and I get embarrassed for them. If my boss is ever doing a job I should be doing or one I should make sure it’s getting done I am Not doing my job. I can’t even feel ok if my boss grabs a dust pan and a broom, if one of us is going to work it’s going to be me. Otherwise, I’m not serving them and I can and likely will be replaced with someone who will. I feel the same way about calling, texting, or emailing them with unnecessary things. Unlike most folks I do believe there’s such a thing as stupid questions. I believe the stupid questions you ask reveal your competence and resourcefulness. If I’m not competent and/or resourceful, I’m obviously Not the obvious choice.

• Create a Best in Class Culture – Leaders take this step for granted. Businesses that provide customer service which is nearly all businesses, need or should put people first. Not only the customer, but those serving the customers. I often tell my team that I don’t sign their paychecks, they sign mine. It’s true. My job description doesn’t say boss. It says coach & cheerleader. As a coach, I’m responsible for a lot; tactics, logistics, supplies, resources, recruiting, training, etc. As a cheerleader, I’m responsible for keeping them all motivated, smiling, and happy. Happy people do a better job; happy people will break their backs for you. Customers can read your people. My favorite compliment from customers throughout the years has been “wow, everyone looks like they enjoy their jobs’. I truly believe that a best in class culture isn’t only great to get up and go to work everyday but it can be a huge competitive advantage in any business.

• Take Full Responsibility – There aren’t many things I detest more than excuses therefore I try everything in my power never to give them. I respect folks so much more when they own the miss steps even when it wasn’t their fault. I think too many folks mistake fault with responsibility. As a leader it may not be my fault that my employee dropped the ball but I assure you it is indeed my responsibility. I learned to take responsibility for my actions and for everything that “happened” to me in my personal life as one of the pillars to completely transforming my life some 20 years ago. I have since used it to transform the culture in my places of employment. One thing I have found is that when coaching or correcting someone they will acknowledge it with ok, yes sir, heard, my bad, I’ll work on that, etc. or an excuse. The latter will almost always require a revisit for the same conversation, while the acknowledgement will almost always become a 1st step towards improvement. You’ll get an excuse or results. Results and excuses are not neighbors, they cannot coexist in the same place. You can have only one or the other.

When it comes to promoting folks I’ve learned to begin with the person instead of with the job. Meaning, sometimes folks will take the job not to let you down and eventually they won’t enjoy their job because they are not passionate about that particular job. For example, I’ve known folks who were amazing servers or bartenders. They were so happy, loyal, and hardworking that I would promote them to managers. Come to find out, they were passionate about getting their job done, of taking care of the customer and providing the best service the customer had ever received, and of doing their job and going on about their lives. As a manager they lost a lot of those controls and they didn’t enjoy leading others to get the job done. Coaching the team on how to perform was not what they were passionate about which in time caused them to move down or leave the company all together. 

Sometimes it is better to look at the individual and find what they are passionate about. If someone is passionate about cooking, why make them manage which would entail for them to do very little cooking? If they are passionate about their social life and golfing often, why make them manage which will make them not be able to socialize with their work peers the way they like or work more hours which would mean they would likely play less golf?

Yes, my examples may be in the restaurant industry but I think most of these elements apply in any industry. I hope you enjoyed my little rant on promotions in the workplace.