One of the most frustrating things about working in Corporate America is trying to guess what’s coming up next. Many times your boss will act like you’re in line for a promotion, when in fact you’re not. They do this to keep employees from complaining. It’s easier to retain someone by constantly dangling a carrot than to just be forthright and say there’s no chance for a promotion for the next ten years. There are only so many higher level positions, and the odds dictate that most people will never reach an executive level.
A good example of this is occurring at my workplace right now. There are a lot of big changes happening in my department. People are being moved around laterally, and there’s even been discussion of relocation for some employees. However, all of us are left wondering what this means in the grand scheme of things. Is this beneficial for my career, or are they looking to phase me out at some later date? None of us are being told what the bigger picture is. It’s hard to know how to best navigate your career when you have so little information to base your decisions on.
Information is the biggest advantage a boss has. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. For instance, one of my colleagues has already accepted a reassignment; however, there is disagreement amongst us as to whether he is being groomed for the next level or if he’s merely taking the first step to being replaced. There is another colleague who has made it known that he would like to leave the department, but interestingly enough, they have already told this person that this is not an option and that he will remain in the same role. What does this mean? Do they like the work that he is performing? Why make him stay when there’s an opportunity to move him out? Is he now stuck in his current role? Is his only option to leave the company? None of us knows.
As for myself, the options remain just as unclear. Certain possibilities are being discussed with me. I’m not sure what any of them ultimately mean for my career. It is highly evident that the higher-ups prefer to work in this ambiguous environment. The bigger picture hasn’t been revealed to any of us, and the bosses know that there are too many variables for us to work out without additional information.
I have learned to stop trying to control things in my career. It is an exercise in futility and has only caused frustration for me in the past. My attitude drives my wife crazy because it seems like I don’t care. In fact, it’s just the opposite, I do care, but I also realize that trying to control something that is completely out of my control is an exercise if futility. I will do what I think is best, but I certainly have no clue what that is at this point. What I am prepared to do is leave if necessary. It is the only option that resides within my realm of control. I have a strategy in place to find work elsewhere, and it’s a strategy that I advise everyone who works in Corporate America to have ready at all times.