The Sleeping Beauty Syndrome

Over the last couple of years some of my clients told me about their unmet expectations, i.e. their managers failed to actively reward their proven competences by promoting them.

Sometimes the reason for this is that an employee's excellent performance in his/her current position is a good reason for the manager to keep him/her there: "Never change a winning team!" And sometimes the manager assumes that the employee is very happy in his/her current position and that he/she does not want a change.

When an expected promotion doesn't come, employees often become frustrated, which results in a negative, grumpy behaviour that gets on everybody's nerves, isolates the person concerned and might even lead to the conclusion that the employee is actually not suitable for higher tasks.

Unlike the Sleeping Beauty, don't wait for someone to come along and awaken you with a kiss. Blow your own horn and market yourself instead of waiting for your manager to recognise your competences and ambitions.

The first step is to think about what kind of promotion you actually want and whether you are willing to pay the price for it.

  • Be clear about your strengths and the value-added you could generate for your manager and your company in a higher position.
  • Reflect on what your manager needs in order to promote you.
  • Actively look for opportunities to communicate your competences, goals and intentions and ask for support.

Strategic self-marketing will help you achieve your goals faster than waiting for someone to "discover" you.

Renate Pasch-Donohoe - Das Gelbe Haus