The majority of executives are considering a job change
A promotion comes with a multitude of new challenges: how do you deal with former colleagues, how can the tasks best be distributed, how do you deal with a dilemma with all the responsibilities… and what is your personal management style anyway ? New managers have to find out all this and much more in the first few weeks and months – maybe even years. In most cases, this means stress and overtime. Similarly, a Deloitte study of 2,100 executives from the US, UK, Canada and Australia found that executives were more overwhelmed, lonelier and more likely to suffer from depression than other employees. A full 73 percent of executives said they hadn’t been able to switch off properly since their promotion. In line with this, another 70 percent said they were seriously considering quitting and wanting to switch to a job that is better for their mental health.
Those who learn from stress and frustration have a good chance of success
These numbers speak for themselves – promotions are exhausting. Patricia Naranjo, a psychologist, careers consultant, and former senior human resources consultant, told Business Insider, “Work stress and frustration are common issues, both personal and work-related.” But: “It’s a learning phase. Frustration, like grief, has a function: if we know how to use it, we can learn from it.” So it’s not impossible to get lost in a leadership role. When preparing for the new job, you should definitely think about possible scenarios and your own management style, so at least learn to swim before jumping in at the deep end. In addition to coaching, strategies such as meeting-free days and proven time management can help.
Have a say in working conditions in negotiations
But good negotiations with the employer should not be underestimated either – especially since the pandemic has changed the demands on employees and the workplace: Deloitte data says that companies are increasingly emphasizing mental health and the general welfare of their employees. “Companies are putting more effort and resources into attracting talent, and fewer and fewer people are willing to accept any terms. So the employee is also able to ask for a lot” and negotiate stress-reducing terms, Naranjo emphasizes. But you shouldn’t rely on that alone. Instead, it is important to think about whether the step is really the right one before the promotion: do I have leadership qualities or can I learn them? If yes how? Am I suitable for the position, what are the advantages of a promotion? It is important not only to look at the salary increase and recognition – these aspects are not reason enough to take on so much additional stress.
Promotion is not the same as promotion
“We often want to be promoted without really asking ourselves if that’s the path that’s good for us. Such promotions can prove counterproductive if, for example, you don’t have the necessary skills and competencies or if you’re not really ready to take on the additional responsibility,” said Naranjo.
When considering promotions, it’s also important to remember that like all other posts, leadership positions are different. So if that one promotion doesn’t quite fit, there’s still an opportunity to climb up the career ladder elsewhere.
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