Moving Up in Title, Not Responsibility

Getting a promotion in and of itself is never disappointing. However, you may have had different expectations than the actual outcome. Perhaps your title changed to manager and you expected to get additional responsibilities to be able to manage projects and/or people, but it didn’t happen. You can either accept it or question it. If you decide to question it, start with your direct manager. Prepare a statement of your career goals in the next year, two years, and five years, if possible. Discuss with your manager these goals and how he or she can help you reach them within the proposed timeframe. Be open to adjusting your goals statement with your manager, but be firm about getting an agreement on paper. If you feel confident after this meeting that your manager will help you achieve your goals, be patient and allow a few weeks for changes to be implemented. If you find after this time that nothing has changed and your duties have remained the same, it’s time to go to your manager’s superior. Ask if he or she is aware of the previous conversation and if not, recap it for him or her. Then explain you agreed on the changes on paper but so far nothing has changed and you would like his or her advice. Asking for advice is a great way to start the conversation. If you can come to an agreement on paper that gets implemented, great. If not, it may be time to look elsewhere for a job.