Dear Evil HR Lady,
I’ve been working at the same job with -1 title change for 15 yrs. My hurdle is I’m being held back -due to personality conflict. I’ve trained all new hires (4 people) including 2 bosses. They are very difficult to please & moody.
Most of my reviews are ‘barely acceptable.’ however, my boss is routinely asking me for help.
I have asked to be promoted several times…every year for 4 years. The title I requested became available but in an area that doesn’t interest me. I’ve asked HR to define my job and they said my boss has to write it. So I asked the boss to update it. He lied to me and said he did. I checked it and nothing changed (earlier this year) Times are tough.. My HR dept is not confidential. Help!!
I Can't Get a Promotion
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7 comments:
I have an employee who has told me at least twice a month for six of the past eight years she’s worked here that she wants to be promoted; her title is accounting clerk which she deplores. She is outstanding in her job and I consistently give her good reviews and raises. We are a small company, so there isn’t a position she can be promoted to at this time. I did offer to consider her for special projects. Every project since that I‘ve given her she’s missed the deadline, got mired in details or literally fought every step of the project. I’ve helped get her started, offered to check her work answer her questions, but the minute I turn my back she’s doing her main job. More than once I’ve had to finish it for her. It was so bad our CFO told me not to give her any more special projects. I’ve discussed this with her and she says it isn’t the type of work she’s talking about. She doesn’t seem to listen when I say she needs to master the basics before I can move her on to something else. I suggested she work towards earning her degree. She said she couldn’t afford to go back to school. Our company pays 100% of classes that pertain to an employee’s job. I told her I’m sure we could find several that would apply plus we’ve had to reduce her hours as part of a cost cutting strategy, so she would have time to study. She’s never followed through. I’ve come to the conclusion she just wants a fancier title and a bigger salary, but doesn’t want to do the actual work to get there. I am sure she tells her friends and family that she’s asked to be promoted, but I’ve ignored her requests.
Also, liked your point that employees should know more than there boss because that is their area of focus. So true and isn't that what job security is all about.
Thanks for a great post.
Sorry to be harsh; but I stopped taking the OP serious when I read:
"My hurdle is I’m being held back - due to personality conflict.
Personality conflict? really? in the work place?
In my opinion, if all parties are acting professionally then there shouldn't be any "personality conflict."
Save that crap for personal relationships - this is work. professionals know who to deal with "conflict" in the workplace (i.e. differences of opinion, different work styles, different personalities, etc.)
"I’ve trained all new hires (4 people) including 2 bosses. They are very difficult to please & moody."
Training 4 new hires is not a big deal (okay, I'm a trainer, so maybe my opinion on that shouldn't count). And as a trainer I always want to ask did you really train them or did you just show them stuff? There is a big, very big, difference. Maybe part of the problem is that you exaggerate what you actually accomplish at work?
A final question would be how can ALL FOUR of them be difficult and moody - what (or more accurately - WHO) is the common denominator here?
As the writter isn't currently performing in their current position (as evidence of the low performance ratings) they should focus on their current job and not on getting promoted. Until you can perform your current duties at an exceptional level you shouldn't even consider being promoted.
Promotion is deserved not begged for and I think this person does not believe in herself .If you don't believe in your ability how do you expect your boss and colleagues who may be competing for the same promotion to believe in you?It is time lady you change your tactic and stop the blame game rather put your effort in doing real work that can earn you the promotion.
I do believe that any organization worth its salt will be able to sort out work conflict and also have a bench mark for reward and fairness.You seem to be complaining about everybody in the organization and I advise you to eflect oon yourself before you judge others.
Bashir
Oops...I think I see the hitch in your get-along.
REMEMBER: You ask for a raise -- You earn a promotion.
I wish you well. You strike me as an intelligent person, and I am sure you will figure out what works for you.
In closing I offer this tidbit of wisdom that my grandmother offered to me 40 years ago..."Listen more than you talk." Bless her heart. What a wise woman.
Thanks for reading...
Great piece. I like your take on it, Evil HR Lady. I'm somewhat intrigued by Charles' comment. While I agree that the subject of the piece has work cut out for him/her to get on track toward a gratifying career, the reality is, personality conflicts happen in spite of professional conduct.
Personality conflicts happen on the best of teams—and sometimes substituting one person for another isn't always the answer. From what I understand, the military and NASA understand this, and they train their officers and engineers, respectively, to handle these situations head on (as you're suggesting, Evil HR Lady—and yes, I'll try to say that as often as I can). My experience, burying them under the premise of professional conduct tends to lead to passive aggressive behavior and living up to the minimum standards of professional conduct.
That said, I'd be curious, if the person's performance marks are consistently below standard, why isn't s/he being counseled to move on to finding a more rewarding career? As a manager, I've had to do that myself with a staff member, and in the end, everyone was the better for it.
It would seem that if you feel they are passing you over for the "deserved" promotion then after 15 years, it may be time to make a change. Just be sure that this is what you truly want to do before you leave, because it may seem pretty bad at your current location, but could definitely get worse when starting all over.
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