Guilt trip on the way up

WE'RE not worthy, we're not worthy," the prostrate chant of Wayne and Garth on meeting heavy metal idol Alice Cooper in Wayne's World, can easily become the mantra of the newly promoted as they struggle with guilt about overtaking colleagues.

Is it possible to remain friends with co-workers from way back, and still have their respect as their new boss?

Promotion is a mixed blessing.

Although it brings improved salary and status, it may also bring longer hours, more stress and changed relationships with colleagues.

The negative side of promotion are rarely discussed, so it's not surprising that the first move up the ladder is often the hardest.

Kate Corby, 37, a marketing director for a transport multinational, remembers her first promotion at an advertising agency.

"I went in as an office junior straight after graduating, and within three years was promoted to account director, the same level as my former boss Hilary, who had been there donkey's years, was considerably older than me and had taught me a lot.

"I was also seen by senior management as far more go-getting than Hilary, so I was given a wider range of responsibilities while she was left to caretake the more routine clients.

"Understandably, Hilary resented this, and the atmosphere was awful, but I still had to work with her every day. I was only in my early 20s and felt terrible about slighting someone who'd helped me, but ultimately it was my boss's decision to promote me and I wasn't going to say 'no'."

Bruce Tulgan, founder of employment trends consultancy Rainmaker Thinking in Connecticut, urges young workers managing older teams to still act as managers, however much an unworthy whippersnapper they feel.

"Don't soft peddle your authority out of respect for older team members.

If you're all diffident, saying 'could you do this if you find the time', work will remain undone because they'll never find the time.

Instead, say what needs to be done, how it's to be done and by when."

Focused young workers can still run into the guilt trap. Tim Gold, 34, a partner in a City PR agency, recalls former boss Chris who mentored his transition from political lobbying to investor relations.

"My first job in the agency was in Chris's office and, to use the clich, he 'taught me everything I know' about PR and I'm still grateful. But Chris was still a civil servant at heart, used to telling ministers what their options were on an issue and then letting them choose from a range.

"This came across as a bit bumbling to clients, who were City firms facing a crisis and just wanted a judgment call on what to do.

"I spotted that clients wanted to be given one course of action, spelled out in big letters, so they started turning to me, even though Chris was my senior and far more experienced. Within five years I was made a partner and Chris wasn't, even though he was such a nice, knowledgeable guy."

Second and subsequent promotions are easier on the conscience, as it becomes more inured to personal fall out.

According to LifeWorks, a work life balance service from Ceridian Performance Partners: "People respond to change in different ways. Those who have experienced change tend to be better equipped to deal with subsequent change.

"People who are naturally inclined to believe that things will work out for the best and that good things will happen to them, or who generally approach life in a problem solving way, tend to see opportunity in change and are less troubled by it."

Experience of office politics also hardens the heart against blatantly unfair promotion decisions, even if they are in your favour.

Cary Cooper, professor of occupational psychology at UMIST, says: "The decision to promote somebody may not be based on ability but on their being able to bring prestigious clients to the company, or because their previous employers represent useful strategic alliances."

Men with female colleagues enjoy an unfair advantage in the promotion game, admirably summed up by Lorraine Heggessy, the new controller of BBC1: "Men are promoted three years too early, women three years too late."

Actually, that should be qualified to read white men with female colleagues, as race is still a bar to holding senior positions. Statistics from the Department for Education and Employment show 21 per cent of black and Asian people gain degrees compared with 16 per cent of whites, yet ethnic minorities are still over-represented in unemployment and underrepresented in senior management.

It's disheartening to discover promotion may have more to do with office politics and prejudice than talent.

Accepting a more senior job is still worthwhile, as changing ingrained promotion practices from the top will be hard, but from the bottom impossible.

Copyright 2001
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