Can Promotion Be A Problem?

“It is wrong and immoral to try to escape the consequences of one’s actions.” This is how Mahatma Gandhi spoke. It is obvious that generally a professional promotion is a consequence of your actions, whatever they may be. Now, before accepting, perhaps you should ask yourself if you really want to face this new challenge.

In general, a professional promotion is always good news. Change usually comes loaded with positive consequences. The normal thing is that it is achieved accompanied by a salary increase, recognition of a job well done, a load of self-confidence and reaffirmation, etc.

However, not all is good news when you achieve a professional promotion. Amid so much joy, sometimes we forget some consequences. And these can be very negative in the short, medium or long term. Everything will really depend on us and our attitude to face the new challenges.

What does a professional promotion mean?

Many specialists have analyzed what a professional promotion entails. Beyond the improvement of self-esteem, there are other important issues before this new assumption of responsibilities. It is a challenge that can be scary.

Preparation is important

You may not be professionally ready for a promotion, but mentally you must be. This is how the professor in sociology at the University of Alcalá de Henares, Alicia Kaufmann, considers it, who establishes a recommendation through a story starring two frogs.

Two frogs want to reach a bottle of cream, but neither can swim. However, one is dedicated to lamenting what he has done, so one sinks without remedy. Meanwhile, the other batrachian does not stop moving its legs until it learns to swim and achieves its goal.

You may not feel prepared enough for a career advancement, but victimhood and regret are not solutions. You have to work, study and strive, which requires enormous mental strength and great will.

Unique situations of the new position

Another issue to take into account when facing a professional promotion is related to the situations that the new position generates. In this sense, they can be associated with a lack of real compensation, a displacement from your place of residence, an increase in working hours, etc.

Ignacio de Jorge is director of Moebius Consulting. This manager believes that it can be positive to say no to a promotion when  it does not fit our true needs, talents and vital searches. It is true that it can mean more money, but it does not have to mean more recognition or flexible hours as we had in our “lower” position.

However, there is always the possibility of negotiation. Do not feel obliged to accept a professional promotion if it does not compensate you. Doing so can bring you more added problems. However, if you talk to your superiors, you may find points of agreement that are positive for both parties.

The new situation

When you occupy a position in a corporate organization chart for a time, it is normal that you get to carry out your work with some dexterity. You are in a comfortable situation. However, a career promotion will break all that comfort and your personal comfort zone will change.

What’s more, your personal situation can change so much that this promotion could mean new complex situations to deal with. For example, envy of other colleagues. Maybe not everyone in the company looks up to your new position or thinks the promotion is fair.

In addition, your former colleagues become collaborators at your service. That is, you now have a position of authority and you must make yourself respected. All this, if not approached correctly, can hinder the tasks precisely oriented to this command.

How to prevent a career promotion from becoming a problem

Be that as it may, a promotion can be a problem, but there is no reason why it should necessarily be. Some authors, such as Professor Alicia Kaufmann, recommend humility above all else. It is best to accept the position and work with passion to avoid being envious.

Patience is another great virtue in this case. With time and good effort, we are all finally able to show that we have earned each promotion we have received. It may be difficult for you to adapt at the beginning, just like when you came to the company, but most likely you will also adapt to this position the same as the initial one.

So do n’t be intimidated by a career advancement. Show that you are a valid person who has gotten there for work, humility and his own merits. With the right effort, positive results do not take long to appear and the possibility of enjoying or adapting the new conditions to your personal needs will also come.