Career Advice: Feeling Unwanted?
There was a time when careers looked like a tunnel. You started at one end and emerged from the other end only to retire. I got a mail from a reader who asked for advice about this awkward situation.
I work in a start-up manpower service provider, where I report to the director of the organisation. As we are flourishing, we have started constructing the hierarchy of the organisation.
In the new system, my senior plans to put me under a manager who will be overseeing my work. I feel I have not been valued and given importance. Moreover, all the growth options for me have been blocked. I feel I deserve much more. I have sacrificed a lot, faced many hurdles and performed well. So I feel I am not awarded properly.
What should I do?
My response:
You are describing the typical challenge of a startup (I call them Dreamers) that has discovered the magic potion of growth. When a business grows more than 5X, it needs to rethink its organisation chart, the role of each employee, and bring in people who meet skill gaps. The founders need to put extra effort in communicating these changes to the older employees, so that they do not feel undervalued. Each employee would have contributed to the organisation's success. You have clearly played your part. The rewards may not always be in the form of a promotion. Working in a more complex role can be a great way to prepare for a larger role.
“The rewards may not always be in the form of a promotion. ”
Growth could mean a more enriching job where you are learning new skills and working on more complex problems. If you feel you are not learning and getting challenged, that may be a conversation worth having with your manager. It is also fair to ask your manager what skills you need to build to be able to continue growing in the organisation. The skills that make you successful in one role may not be the ones that make you successful in a different role.
One final word: Just because you have not been put into a larger role right away does not rule out the possibility of a second phase of announcements and organisational changes. Someone who is in a larger role may be asked to take on something different or quit the organisation. Either way, if you are well prepared, that role will come to you. You are already building the skill of working in a larger mid-sized organisation. That is the best indicator of growth.
If you are well prepared and the opportunities do not come up inside the organisation, I guarantee that you will hear from a headhunter. You are already a part of that fraternity. Good luck with your career.
What would be your advice for this person?Written for Times of India dated 30th March 2021.
