Remember that high school romance that ended badly? The one who promised you eternal love ended up on somebody else’s arm at the prom. And all you could do was watch.
Fast-forward to adult life and the workplace, and that painful prom is roughly the situation for millions of workers who are passed over for promotions each year, only to continue working in the same department—often for the person who actually got the job.
It’s natural to sink into a self-pitying funk and to beam that dark attitude into everyone you meet. But do yourself a favor and DON’T DO IT. Nothing will cling to you longer and harder than a reputation for being a poor loser or a whiner.
There will be other opportunities, and if you keep doing great things, you WILL be recognized. Go way beyond your job description. Be the light that shines so brightly that it can’t fail to be noticed. Let HR know that you would like more responsibilities and take the initiative to learn new things quickly.
Good things always come to people who are doing the right things. Keep focused on being of massive value and the world will shower you with abundance.
Your plan may very well start with you-know-who—the person who got “your” job. It’s standard to have to teach a new manager for a while as they don’t know how you do things. Hopefully they’ve been hired for their management abilities and skills at deploying people and processes to make things happen in faster and better ways. But you are the one with home field knowledge. Use it to show you’re above resentment and endlessly valuable.
Good things always come to people who are doing the right things. Keep focused on being of massive value and the world will shower you with abundance.
Five steps for a quick recovery after being passed over
1. DECIDE to shock those around you with your great attitude.
2. Orient yourself forward to the next opportunity. There will be one, you know.
3. Concentrate on going way beyond your job description.
4. Be generous and helpful to the person who got the job.
5. Continue building the skills that make you the best ROI imaginable.
Quick tip
Choose one visible and valuable skillset as the focus of your self-improvement plan for three months.