It was May 5th. The increments and promotions were announced. Average increment was 9 %, He was at 14%. He had received a good increment. Possibly one of the highest for his grade.
His appraisal had gone off well last month. His boss was happy with his work. Had also given inputs that he needed to be comfortable with the uncertainty in todays’ world and be ready to drop plans and go back to the drawing board. That is the today’s VUCA world.
His name was not in list of promotees. In fact, no one except very juniors in his department were promoted. His boss explained everyone that this year only vacancy led promotions were given. This was the drop year. Boss especially told him that he was nearlyready for the next position and needed to hone some of his skills, then next year if all thing going right he should get the promotion.
Raghav had pinned all his hopes and desires on this promotion. This promotion meant a change in his seating from a small desk to a cubicle which meant he would have a new elevated status. He had often talked about this to his wife. When his appraisal went off well every day he dreamt of the promotion. He talked to himself how it was important to the extent that if he did not get it, it would hurt him and would not be acceptable. So he applied outside as a backup.
In his mind he had built the importance of the promotion to unreasonable levels, he was obsessing over it making him emotionally fragile.
Not getting a promotion was a blow to him. He was shattered. His ego was bruised. He could not hear anything the boss was telling him. It just did not register. He only heard “not promoted”, “not ready”, “failure”. He felt his boss had not pushed his case enough and had wronged him. He felt his boss was incompetent in managing the teams future. Raghav was seething inside. He was convincing himself of stories which had no basis.
About ten days later, he hit the send button of the email titled resignation and that is when his anger cooled a bit. Let the boss repent. Let him manage this uncertainty. Ha ha !! He felt he had avenged.
The boss tried to have a long conversation, he also repeatedly told Raghav. that he was a valued team member, that he had got highest increment and was nearly ready for the promotion. Again Ragahv just heard ‘nearly’ ready which meant that he was not ready. He had in his mind distorted enlarged only words like ‘Not ready’, ‘No promotion’. In his mind he also added slowly but surely ‘not ready’ means ‘failure’.
His last day at this organization was 30th June. He had finished 5 years.
He joined the new organization which was a little smaller. Slowly he settled down. He had to build his credibility & networks all over again. The culture was different. Being smaller and relatively new age, the processes were still adhoc and every decision was taken by the division head. In most of the meetings Raghav would end up comparing and saying “ in my previous company we used to do this…..and in this way”. The divisional manager called him and counselled him to try and adjust to the new organization culture and that people felt insulted everytime, he told them how they did things in his old place. In short, he had to re-establish his value all over again.
It was August, he received the news that his old boss was transferred to UK, the company HQ, for handling a new project. His position was becoming vacant. Raghav knew he was most suited and longed to go back. Raghav sought appointment with the HR Director to consider his candidature. HR director received him well.
HR director told him that he was the named successor last year of his boss in last years succession plans.If he would have been in the organization he would have been promoted out of turn to be in his bosses shoes !!
But alas ! now he could not take him in his bosses position. The company policy, stated that employee who had left the organization could rejoin only at the same position and same salary they had left at. HE would be welcome to join back at the position he left and next year if things go will he will be promoted.
Now Raghav was in a deeper dilemma …should he join back and wait for a year in the company he was valued or look for yet another change !
Raghav felt he had lost out at both the ends and now understood the boss’s words which said “ you are nearly ready” and realised it meant he was marked as successor and not as “ not ready” .
He would have in fact got two promotion….had he kept his patience .
Be patient, may be something better is cooked for you. Remember anything can happen in this uncertain fast world. Don’t allow the internal negative stories to become larger than life . Emotions feed these negative stories and further distort them.
Be patient, take decision after thinking carefully ..…would six months delay matter in a career span of 30 years plus ?
