dO YOU faSCINATE? By The Employment Therapist
From Frustration To Fascination. Not too long ago, I was in a coaching session with a candidate who spent the entire time complaining. They went on and on about how they were always getting looked over for promotions even though they had impeccable quarterly reviews and was considered a valued team member. They explained how they had applied for several positions within their department and hadn’t seen any upward movement at the company in over four years. My client was ready to jump ship; leaving behind a position they loved and an employer they had worked for over 10 years. ”It’s time for a change,“ they blurted out in frustration for not getting what they wanted. Does this sound familiar? I allowed the candidate to ramble on for a few more minutes before asking, ”How do you think your managers perceive you as an executive, an employee, and a team member?“ Their knee-jerk reaction was very predictable having heard the same type of response frequently. ”I don’t care how they perceive me! I deserved to get paid and move up the ladder. I’m smarter than most and have been doing the job longer. There’s a lot of favoritism in my company and I’m sick of seeing what is going on as I get passed over.“
I truly felt for the candidate as they analyzed the situation completely wrong and narrow-minded. The candidate was so focused on what they weren’t getting that they didn’t consider whether or not they were being viewed correctly. In this Game of Life we play life isn’t fair. Most times things do not go the way we believe they should but this does not mean we should feel disregarded. Still, it is up to the individual to change an employer’s misperception about oneself. Let me explain. It’s true to a degree you should not care about what others think about you especially those who do not know you or cannot affect your livelihood. Unfortunately, those who do not care about what people think about them do not realize it is very important to know how others perceive us in the workplace which can either elevate us or hinder our progression. Haters are gonna hate, right? Not necessarily. I know many people who have endured this situation, and so have I in my career pursuits. From my own experiences, instead of giving up, I would challenge myself to want a positive resolve as to why a manager’s answer was ”no“! First, Continued on page 39
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