CAREER SPECIAL...Promotion MYTHS BUSTED

Promotion MYTHS BUSTED

ASSUMPTION 1 - My manager promoted my colleague over me

    According to Utkarsh Rai, vice president & managing director, Infinera India and the author of 101 Myths and Realities@the office,

    “The employee needs to invest time in working towards the promotion by acquiring skills, having a healthy discussion with the manager and also sensing opportunities. The employee needs to be patient, as sometimes it takes years to be ready for the next level. The employee forgets that even if your colleague has gotten promoted ahead of you, there is no certainty that he/she will be ahead of you in the long run. Sometimes, a person is ready for promotion, but there could not be any business case to promote the person. While it is recommended that employees stay patient if such situations arise, it is also advisable that they keep on learning new skills and performing their best at the job.”

ASSUMPTION 2 - I have completed a stipulated tenure in a particular role; therefore, I am ideally eligible to move to the next level

    “A promotion is a form of recognition for employees who make significant and effective work contributions. Individual contributors must be eligible for promotions that recognise and reward their role as contributors,” says Rakhi Panigrahy, employee engagement regional head (west), Geometric. “If experience becomes the sole criterion, it may not necessarily be fair and one may lose his/her zeal to excel further knowing that his/her hard work will go in vain if experience is given precedence over results. Thus, performance-based promotion serves as a strong incentive for the employee to work harder,” feels Panigrahy.

ASSUMPTION 3 – My ‘technical’ skills will guarantee a promotion

    “EQ-related skills are equally important today. One’s attitude towards work, initiative-taking skills, communication competencies, etc are soft, yet critical skills-sets needed to excel. Being able to reinforce teamwork, engage in collaborative efforts, ability to deal with ambiguities, are some key traits that will distinguish one from the rest. Along with reinforcing hard work, leaders should take the time to educate employees of the traits that are critical to move ahead. Clear articulation of these ‘additional’ traits will contribute towards enhancing the standards of the talent pool,” suggests Anju Jain, country HR director, Caterpillar India & ASEAN.

ASSUMPTION 4 - ‘Older’ employees are resistant towards young managers

    “The (young) leader has to prove that he/she has the capability to lead by example, hard work, and commitment. The older employees will eventually come to terms with the new (read: young) manager and the company’s decision to promote him/her for the position,” informs Latha Rajan, cofounder & director, Ma Foi Strategic Consultants. If the person promoted is a good leader, he/she will have the ability to command respect from all employees reporting to him/her, irrespective of age.
PRIYA C NAIR TAS130123