MYTHS OF THE NEXT BIG ROLE: WHY PROMOTION DOESN’T MEAN MORE WORK

I cannot tell you how many times I have come across people in coaching, training, and generally in life who have said to me that they don’t want to go for the promotion or a bigger role because they don’t want more work. Every time I hear this, my heart breaks.

A promotion or a bigger role generally entails growth, a bigger salary, recognition. If you are putting all this effort day after day, wouldn’t you want a more significant pay and recognition over time?

And do you know which gender has this view the most? Women, of course.

Women tend to shoulder a disproportionate amount of workload at home, and the pandemic has opened our eyes to the impact it has on the individual and the economy. When doing 2 roles (work and family) and for some 3 roles where they also have caring duties become too much, guess which role gets dropped? Many women have left the workforce during the pandemic by choice. Experts believe the pandemic has set us back by 20 years in our progress towards equality. It is no wonder when it comes to taking on a bigger role, people are generally hesitant, especially women.

So, why are people hesitant to go for that promotion? Sadly, there is an assumption that promotion means more work. More work means less time for your personal life. For women, it’s a soul-crushing option that they just won’t go for if they believe their work will take up more time away from family, especially their kids.

But what if I told you that taking on a more significant role does not mean more work? Would you believe me? Let me showcase to you why it’s true.

1. TRANSITION TO THE NEW ROLE

One mistake I often see in the corporate world is promoting people without having a transition plan in place. While growing people is vital to retain them and grow the business, when you promote them without a support system, it is a recipe for disaster, leading people to believe bigger roles mean more work.

When people are promoted, it generally means they are entrusted with different responsibilities vs the previous role. For example, a client executive may be ‘doing’ the day to day job to service their clients. Now that they have been promoted to a manager, they have to supervise and ensure clients are serviced well rather than do day-to-day tasks. Of course, this is one tiny example, but you get the picture.

However, making this shift is where most people struggle. Some of the key reasons are:

The lack of proper support and planning not put in place by their manager
Someone to teach/mentor how to let go and step into the new role
The pressure of doing a job well done and ‘earning’ the promotion
Lack of clarity and know-how

So how can you ensure you transition well?

Work with your manager to ensure there is a plan in place. Every transition takes time but reminding him that you have been promoted for a reason and you need the proper process to start doing the role you are expected to do is crucial.
Seek a mentor, someone who has done this before you. It could be someone senior or a peer. Learning from someone else’s experience will be gold.
Take ownership and drive the transition. It is in your interest to ensure that you transition off the old role and start doing the new one.

2. LETTING GO

There are so many areas that you need to focus on when you step up, take the promotion or get a bigger role that if you don’t transition to your new role slowly but gradually, you will end up doing two people’s job – your previous role and your current role that will foster frustration at your end. It is vital that you let go of the tasks that are no more your responsibility.

This is such a common trap that people fall for. Because they have been doing the tasks really well for so long, entrusting someone else to do it the way you would have is a huge transition. If people don’t have the mindset that they want to do more of their new role and less of the old role, it can lead to doing 2 people’s jobs. While you are busy doing your old role, your manager expects you to take on the things you should be doing in your new role. The result? The belief that promotion means more work comes true.

Hence, it is crucial to let go, trust someone else to the job just as well, and step into your new role. Goes without saying, train and handover tasks to the new person really well. This will ensure you have built a solid relationship and getting the quality work that will please you.

3. DON’T DO WHAT YOU SEE

As discussed, people assume the next role entails a lot more work. When asked why they say, ‘but I don’t want the life of my manager’. S/he works so much, and I want a better work/life balance, not worse. Hence, what they see is what becomes their truth. However, what is critical in any promotion is recognising that until you do the job you are promoted to do, you won’t progress in your career despite having that bigger title.

How much you choose to take on MUST be set upfront as a choice. If you take on more in order to feel worthy of the new position or please people which may not be sustainable in the long run, you are setting yourself up for a hard road. I wouldn’t encourage this. In fact, taking it slow and gradually increasing the number of things you take on will be a smart way that will ensure consistent build up to more visibility. This will also give you time to transition off your old role, settle into your new role, and manage expectations well. There is no rush, don’t put pressure on yourself, and remember you just got promoted!

So, I hope this gives you a new perspective on why promotion doesn’t mean more work. I would love to hear your thoughts, so do get in touch and let me know what you think.

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Categories: : Leadership, Management