Why Weren’t You Promoted?

You have a pretty good job and you believe that you do the job pretty well.  You arrive on time everyday, and seldom call in sick.  You are intelligent and enjoy your work.  An opportunity comes along for promotion, but you do not get promoted.

If you feel like you are not appreciated for your work, or you are continually passed over for promotions, you may need to take a critical look at your attitude (or reputation).  Are you known for your willingness to assist or help out your team members, or do you make it clear that you are not interested in getting involved in anything that will cause you to work after hours?  What kind of reputation do you have in the workplace?  Can you be counted on, or do you have a reason why you can’t work any weekend (going out of town, family coming to visit, etc.,etc.,etc.).

Do you take the stance that you don’t get paid to work or read at home?  Elbert Hubbard once said ‘folks who never do any more than they get paid for, never get paid for any more than they do’.  If you take the stance that you are not going to put in more time than you get paid for, you are communicating to your management that you are not willing to make any sacrifices for the betterment of the team.

It is very important to have a balanced lifestyle.  Most organizations expect you to learn how to balance work and life outside of your work.  An unbalanced lifestyle can have too much emphasis on work – and yes- too much emphasis on outside activities.  We all have some type of commitment outside the workplace, but if you expect to move forward with your career, you better be prepared to deal with the competition - those who are willing to make more of a commitment to their career. 

- Joe Freeman