Lexington, KY - More money, more responsibility and more power don't always relate to more job satisfaction. But in the current economic climate, who would think of rejecting a job promotion?
University of Kentucky's Gordon Holbein, a senior lecturer in the Gatton College of Business's School of Management, made an unexpected career move himself almost 20 years ago.
Holbein was given a parachute of sorts (most likely one not so golden), and he took his career break as a sign.
"I was ready to send out my resume and start the whole process again after I was laid off," Holbein recalled, "but then my wife reminded me, 'Wait a minute. Is this what you really want to do? How long have you been talking about teaching?'"
Holbein has been a professor for 17 years; he's found a life that he loves.
Just like a layoff can be seen as both a threat and an opportunity, a promotion can be positive or negative.
Deciding whether to accept a promotion involves many factors. One should think about his or her priorities and personal value system as a start, said Holbein.
"Work is a huge part of our lives," he explained. "We have to ask ourselves if work is everything: Do we work to live or live to work?"
Life is filled with tradeoffs, and deciding to accept a promotion is another opportunity cost.
"It's about work/life balance and your quality of life," said Holbein. "This generation has choices. You don't have to take the job and go up the corporate ladder like the baby boomers might have felt more pressure to do."
Are you selling yourself short or selling out? Holbein's father had to answer the same age-old questions when he was offered a promotion with Standard Oil (now Exxon) in Argentina in 1956.
"My dad had to look at his value system, and he wasn't going to move his family," Holbein said. "Moving up wasn't worth it."
And while you may be ready to take the plunge, you may not be meant for management responsibilities.
In too many instances, high performers in a specialized field are prime targets for management. But a salesperson with high numbers doesn't necessarily make a capable manager of sales; a good teacher doesn't make a good principal.
"A highly skilled discipline requires different skill sets than management in that discipline," said Holbein. "There's not necessarily a natural progression."
If you are given an offer of a promotion, take it seriously. An offer is not mandatory and could be a recipe for disaster, according to Holbein.
"If you can continue to valuably contribute where you are, then there's a viable reason to stay where you are," he said. "If your heart isn't into it, you might be hurting your performance in the long run."
What do you do if you're offered a promotion and you're not interested? While there are risks involved to turning something down, there are ways to handle the situation that will make your future in the office a bit brighter.
Holbein recommends the following:
Express appreciation for the offer. "Exhibit heartfelt loyalty and commitment," Holbein said. "Let your superiors know that you're grateful."
Put it in writing. Holbein recommends putting your reasoning for turning down a promotion down on paper.
"If you don't explain your reasoning, they'll make up their own explanations," he said. "You control the conversation, so they don't have to."
Ask that the letter be a part of your personal record, so when someone looks later, it doesn't get amplified into something that it's not.
Go the extra mile. If you're worried that it looks like you're not dedicated, double up and demonstrate that you are.
"Shine where you are and continue to be enthusiastic and committed," said Holbein.
Business leaders aren't as brutal as most people think.
"Managers are real people," Holbein said. "If they respect you enough to want to promote you, then they don't want to lose you."
Balance is becoming more and more important on the job, according to Holbein. "You hear currents in organizations that people are beginning to see that there's more to life than work," he said. "Baby Boomers themselves asked the same questions that the current workforce is asking. What's life all about? And now these Baby Boomers are leaders, and they can understand the questions that you may have."