Passed over for a promotion...stunned beyond belief! Advice? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

G-Benz · #1 05-19-2007, 06:57 AM

Boss shows up with a mylar "congratulations" balloon and cupcakes to a co-worker's desk, announcing his technical promotion, on the basis of technical skills acquired from taking a lead role in some new project.

All the while, this guy works banker's hours, spends most of the day cruising for new attractive female sales trainees (he's married btw), and refuses to do any software fixes (many of them were assigned to me as a result). In fact, hired contractors did all of the legwork on the project...he just got credit for it because he was designated the "lead".

I bust my a$$ daily on this job, got my boss out of many, many tight-a$$ed situations when he asked me to fix something "on-the-fly", have the highest number of software fixes and enhancements and the lowest incident of re-fixes (or highest quality quotient). Every time someone left the department, I took on additional roles and responsibilities unfamiliar to me at the time.

Both of us were hired inder the same job title and have about the same number of years at the company.

When I came on board, I had NONE of the skills required to perform the required duties...within three months I designed the prototype of the application that is now in production today.

I'm not sure what the barometer is for getting rewarded, but it's obviously not hard work and performance!

I am so numb from the experience, I feel like telling my boss to kiss my a$$ and go elsewhere, but that option is not reasonable considering the flat IT market these days. I really want to just shut down and quit producing, since it obviously goes unnoticed.

I am plagued with all sorts of negative feelings and pretty much summed it up as only the *********s and whiny slackers get ahead in this life!

I know it's not a healthy outlook, but right now, I don't see any positive in this.

Thanks for letting me vent...

Kuan · #2 05-19-2007, 07:07 AM

Is this why you're up at 5am? You can manage your career a little better. Many people think this is a matter of playing office politics, but I think not. You're not alone. Take a few days and reassure yourself that you're alive, you have a job, a loving wife, a great family, and a future sports hero.

You cannot be passive. You have to have a plan. Sit down with the boss and make a personal development plan.

Take on leadership roles, and toot your own horn. Sure, people will notice but you have to make sure they remember.

Get feedback if you have system for doing that. Do it more than once every five years or more often that right before you think you're ready.

Be visible to the higher ups. Make sure people know your name.

Find a mentor. Preferably someone outside the department. This may be a totally casual thing or formal. I prefer casual.

Get a coach. A coach? Get someone to coach you through situations that may be uneasy for you. This may be your wife or someone you trust. Essentially you're coaching yourself. Don't be afraid to change.

Most of all, lead, and lead well. Take the setbacks in stride and be optimistic.

Medmech · #3 05-19-2007, 07:36 AM

Take Kuan's advice but I would ask why you were not choosen for the job- man-to-man straight up. Be careful of your actions because you may be on reserve for something better.

R Leo · #4 05-19-2007, 09:03 AM

"Praise and honor for the non-participants."

-Fritz Schooley, 1995

shoe · #5 05-19-2007, 10:09 AM

I agree with Kaun and KooKoo has a good idea but be very careful how you approach your boss with that. and make damn sure you are not still mad that is not a good time to talk to anyone!!

Medmech · #6 05-19-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoe

I agree with Kaun and KooKoo has a good idea but be very careful how you approach your boss with that. and make damn sure you are not still mad that is not a good time to talk to anyone!!

Word.

If I had to pick one attribute in business that is the most common denominator for success is "Shut up and listen" I have a general rule that when I get pissed I wait a solid 5-10 minutes before saying anything to anyone and I usually have my thoughts rationalized.

If what you are saying is all correct and there are not any other unknown issues they likely have other plans for you. In the military I was passed on a promotion to a complete f--- loser and was devastated but a few later I found out that they had much better and bigger plans for me.

Diesel4me · #7 05-19-2007, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by Kookookachoo: "Be careful of your actions because you may be on reserve for something better."

That would be totally awesome if that's the case for G-Benz.

Everyone here has given excellent advice. That's one reason why I still hang around here. Sorry, but I have nothing else to add, except to wish G-Benz luck and I'm sending him good vibes.

Botnst · #8 05-19-2007, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel4me

Originally posted by Kookookachoo: "Be careful of your actions because you may be on reserve for something better."

That would be totally awesome if that's the case for G-Benz.

Everyone here has given excellent advice. That's one reason why I still hang around here. Sorry, but I have nothing else to add, except to wish G-Benz luck and I'm sending him good vibes.

Like all the above said.

Guerilla tactic: Anonymously post news articles about subordinates who went postal. Uhhhh, you're not a Postal Service employee are you?

Just kkiddinnng ... heh, heh....

Spock II

suginami · #9 05-19-2007, 12:18 PM

The previous company I worked for was about a billion dollar company, with about 500 employees at the office where I worked.

I learned through observation that the process of promotion is such a random process.

Guys who busted their asses off weren't always promoted, and guys who did little but show up were frequently rewarded.

I learned that bosses promote the people they like, those who are in their "clique".

truckinik · #10 05-19-2007, 12:25 PM

Ditto, I have a feeling there is a good reason you were passed up for this. Perhaps a slot a few steps higher up than this other guy, and you'll end up to be his boss..

aklim · #11 05-19-2007, 01:27 PM

You don't want to rock the boat right now. Bad idea. Act like nothing happened and do what you normally do. If you change your attitude, the boss can tell. On the off chance that he has something bigger in store for you, act like nothing has happened. In the meantime, get a resume writer to polish your resume. When you get a job, tell you boss that you are leaving and why. At that time, he might look at the clique list and say "goodbye" to you or might make you a better offer.

You fawk up your job today by reacting and they might fire you. Play it cool. Act normal. When the time comes, walk.

BENZ-LGB · #12 05-19-2007, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suginami

Guys who busted their asses off weren't always promoted, and guys who did little but show up were frequently rewarded.

I learned that bosses promote the people they like, those who are in their "clique".

Yep...

suginami · #13 05-19-2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BENZ-LGB

Yep...

....and that is why I learned that it is never worth it to sacrifice yourself and your family life for the benefit of the company because companies are essentially value-less. Ultimately, all they care about is the bottom line, and even if they say they care about your well-being, they will fire your ass or lay you off in a New York minute.

suginami · #14 05-19-2007, 06:42 PM

Just for the record --------- after reading my last post it may sound like I was passed over for a promotion or was fired or layed off.

I was hired as a Director of one of the company's five (5) operating divisions, and kept that position for the five years I was employed before I moved on. My skills are unique (Japanese speaking) enough that I was the only person in the organization who couold perfom my job. My position was never threatened and I wasn't laid off.

But I saw it happening all the time around me. People were promoted over others, and you'd sit there and think what the hell had that person done to deserve a promotion? Or when a person's position had been "eliminated", the company would create a new position and hire someone else, and you wonder what the hell they had accomplished. Meanwhile, the guy that was laid-off would have his life up-ended. People have mortgages to pay and kids in college. It's just stupid.

In the end it was simply a boss' personal preference. They promote people they like, plain and simple.

And I saw people's jobs eliminated resulting in their being layed off in a re-organization which was meaningless.

The whole experience changed my whole perspective in work and my personal life.

BENZ-LGB · #15 05-19-2007, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suginami

....and that is why I learned that it is never worth it to sacrifice yourself and your family life for the benefit of the company because companies are essentially value-less. Ultimately, all they care about is the bottom line, and even if they say they care about your well-being, they will fire your ass or lay you off in a New York minute.

Exactly. We are all fungible.

I was stunned one day, when coming back from a long day in court I got out of the elevator and as I entered the firm's lobby and I saw that one of the partner's name had been removed.

I figured that if they could/would do that to a partner, what wouldn't they do to an associate like me.

That's when the lightbulb clicked on.

I also agree with you that a firm, or a company will go on on and about how they care about their employees and how they want their employees to have a good family life. Take an afternoon off to go see your kid play soccer and right away you are a slacker.