I think I’ve written a few notes about how they might create a new position for which I would be a prime candidate. Well, yesterday I had a disturbing conversation. A conversation that I’ve had with a certain government contracting company that I used to work for that didn’t have a lot of insight, foresight or any kind of sight.
I am excited about the possibilities of this position, but my boss and another person kept saying over and over – well, we need to know if you might leave because if you are then we don’t want to go out on a limb and create this position and we need to know you are going to stay and be comfortable with the responsibility and the level of growth opportunities if offers (limited).
OK, here are a few important items for someone running a program.
1- If you have someone willing to take on a new role and you have the need AND they are a performer – pave the way! If you do so quickly, they are more likely to stay and find fulfillment with the job. One of the reasons why – it shows you value them and most of us just want to be valued!
2- “might leave?” – doesn’t everyone have a chance to maybe leave their organization if an opportunity comes along? Oh, and by the way, my boss had stated just weeks before that if a certain person was placed in charge that he would be looking for a job? Oh, and said person was given the job and so is my boss looking to leave?
3 – If this new job is really needed then why should it matter if I leave or not? You still said you needed the position and so it really wasn’t based on me in the first place, or was it? I’m a fan of planning for positions you need and filling them with the right people. Sometimes, but not too often, the chance comes along to have the right person and then find the right job, but that’s going to happen more in consulting firms and corporations that actually have more strategic thinking. We are not that organization.
This is all akin to the small government contracting company I worked for a few years ago. They would always hesitate to get people business cards because they said that whenever they would order business cards that people would leave. What kind of thinking is that? Yes, they would leave. Because any company that hesitates 6 months to buy you cards is also hesitating on giving you a lot of other things. Yes, people, we notice these things and at that point look for a company that can give us business cards in the first week and find ways to promote us into new roles if we perform. It’s fairly basic and not much of a science.
Anyway, it feels good to get that off my shoulders. Now I’m not so sure how I feel about the position. I’ve been in the same role for over three years now and that is actually a huge character blow for me. I’ve always been promoted into new responsibilities so quickly. But, of course, in my environment the boss would never allow you to go into a role more advanced than themselves…even if they don’t add much value, but keep getting promoted themselves.
Alas, and much a lack, I guess I have some searching to do. And, I guess I’d better get in the car and go off to work now …..
