How to react when a colleague is promoted

By Britta Schmeis Jan 20, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Hamburg - Envious? No, not me. That's what many people think when they hear praise for a colleague's work.

People don't like to talk about envy because it has a negative connotation, said Svenja Hofert, a career counsellor in Germany.

When an employee earns praise, it is actually charming when his or her colleagues acknowledge it, while at the same time openly admitting he or she would welcome the same recognition.

Employees should not be offended by another employee's success. It's also not a good idea to storm into the boss' office to express one's displeasure or resentment. Overreacting immediately disqualifies that employee for any future recognition, said career counsellor Madeleine Leitner. Instead, it's more effective for employees to think about their own work record and reflect on their own careers.

'If a person feels such a strong emotion as envy in the job, it might have an entirely different basis that has nothing to do with the job,' said Leitner, who is also a psychologist. A person who looks into this can discover a lot about themselves.

Life coach Theo Bergauer approaches the subject somewhat more pragmatically and believes he can help a person gain something from it.

'Such a reaction can have many consequences,' said Bergauer, adding that envy can arouse a person's own ambition or result in an employee recognizing that he or she doesn't want or need the recognition. Other employees might react by saying, 'I'll never achieve that' and distancing themselves from others who seek recognition.

'Or they make it easy and say 'That's unfair,'' Bergauer said. All of these reactions can help an employee go a bit further in their careers.

Svenja Hofert compares the course of a career with the attitude of athletes. They admire each other's performance and commit themselves to reaching the same heights. 'Why not do the same thing in the workplace?' he asked.

The first thing an athlete would do is analyze one's lifestyle and physical fitness. The same goes for one's professional life.

'Maybe the colleague who got promoted has more experience or can do a presentation better,' she said. That's how to find out what is lacking in a career.

Leitner also recommends asking for a meeting with the boss.

'You must, however, prepare exactly what you want to say in order to make constructive suggestions,' she said, adding that she considers the promotion of a colleague a perfectly legitimate occasion to make the boss aware of one's interest in a similar promotion. 'Just don't attack or insult the boss,' she warned.

In such a conversation the boss should in turn say what he or she desires from the employee. In business jargon these are called target objectives and professional development. In such a discussion it is legitimate to name one's role models, said Bergauer.

It's OK to name the boss as a role model but Bergauer urges caution. Employees should realize that there is only the smallest degree of difference between 'sucking up' to the boss and recognizing his or her achievements.

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