Motivational

Rule 94: Know the psychology of promotion

December 23, 2016

Republic of Sierra Leone’s President, Ernest Bai Koroma

Suppose
a vacancy has arisen internally. You quite fancy the job. It fits in with your
fame plan. You could do with the extra
money. You have the expertise, the experience and the qualifications. You think you will apply for the post. All well and good. But what is being decided here? And what are the criteria being used?

You
think job X is vacant; therefore, person Y will fill the post just so long as
they have the right attributes. But what are the right attributes? Oh, I know you’ll say:

·
Experience

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·
Qualifications

·
Expertise

Just
like you’ve got and that’s why you are a perfect candidate. Not quite true I’m afraid. There is usually a whole lot more going on
than you know. For instance the post may
be advertised because:

“There may also be a
million reasons why you shouldn’t apply.
You have to know all this. Study
the psychology of whatever is being offered.
It may not be quite what it seems.
Don’t buy any cigars off any wooden Indians”.

·
Head
office says it has to be but your management has no intention of filling it.

·
Your
manager has already unofficially filled it – it’s been offered to someone
already in secret.

·
The
job is being downsized, it will go to someone who will be made redundant in six
months’ time

·
The
whole exercise is a waste of time – the person already doing the job has
resigned but they are going to withdraw that at the last minute, they’re just
holding out for more money at the moment.

·
It’s
an exercise in getting rid of someone, they’ll offer it to someone completely
unsuitable, and so they have grounds to sack them which they can’t do in their
current position.

·
The
job is being created so the manager can give it to their favorite/lover/friend/relative/blackmailer.

I
don’t want to make you paranoid but there are a million and one reasons why you
may not get the job despite being, on paper, the best person for it. There may also be a million reasons why you
shouldn’t apply. You have to know all
this. Study the psychology of whatever is
being offered. It may not be quite what
it seems. Don’t buy any cigars off any
wooden Indians.

(Excerpts from THE
RULES OF WORK by Richard Templer Read “How not to give too many info away” from The Rules tomorrow on Asabeafrika)

Rule-to-Work Series