“I want a promotion.”As career coaches, that’s a phrase we hear a LOT. It sounds simple. It is simple. As a species, we want to progress and we want to be recognised. And, the first question I ask is WHY? I then I ask why again, and again, and again and then finally, we get to the real reason.What the research actually shows us is that the association between salary and job satisfaction is very weak. The reported correlation indicates that there is less than 2% overlap between pay and job
“I want a promotion.”
As career coaches, that’s a phrase we hear a LOT.
It sounds simple. It is simple. As a species, we want to progress and we want to be recognised. And, the first question I ask is WHY? I then I ask why again, and again, and again and then finally, we get to the real reason.
What the research actually shows us is that the association between salary and job satisfaction is very weak. The reported correlation indicates that there is less than 2% overlap between pay and job satisfaction levels. Although I can guarantee that more than every other conversation I have about promotions is that the first answer to why is I want a pay rise!
It might genuinely be they genuinely want more money, at which point, we normally focus on asking for more money, not a promotion.
It might be ego, it might be to prove something to a family member, it might be for more responsibility, there are any number of reasons that people want a promotion.
So if you want a promotion, ask yourself why you do? What is it about that job in particular that you want? When you know why you want and why you don’t want something, it is far easier to communicate and that’s when doors are opened to allow you to move forward, to progress and to get what you want.
Don’t go through the effort of pushing and getting a promotion only to find out it isn’t what you actually want. And if you have a team member badgering you about wanting a promotion, just spend the time to find out why before you make up your mind.
No More Ifs Or Buts.
