Your manager promises you any number of ways to motivate you and to keep you ‘happy.’ It's very easy to say many words.
Equally it can be all too easy for you to be eager and want what your manager promises. You will do almost anything, hoping and waiting for those false promises to be fulfilled.
Shining false Promises Tarnished
Fresh out of university I very deliberately sought employment at one of the largest corporations in Canada, and what I considered to be my dream company. Through focus and perseverance, I landed a coveted role. I was the youngest in the department, and I was bright-eyed and excited to make an impact. On my first day I was promised that if I worked hard for six months and proved myself, I could expect a considerable pay increase.
After three months I was thrust into filling the role of another team member who had greater responsibility (i.e. and another pay grade) and who needed time off, in addition to fulfilling my original role & responsibilities. As I trained alongside him, I came to understand the nights, weekends, and the relentless pace that would be expected of me. Lured by the promise of a pay raise and believing success would follow, I spent the next several months on a continuous cycle of constant work.
Reality Sets In
I eventually understood that the company I had literally fought to work for had let me down. The manager who had promised me the raises and who implied success, had no reason to fulfill any of their promises because I was delivering without them in hand. I was already spending my days and nights in an endless cycle at work, proving that I could manage the load, and confirming they really didn’t need to pay me for the work I was doing.
Over and over, my manager encouraged me, maybe even thanked me a few times for my great effort, but here's the point: Nothing consequential changed.
But one day I made up my mind to change the situation. I marched into his office and reminded him of those early promises, that I was working 2 roles (including one that was 2 levels higher than mine) and firmly requested the raise that had originally been promised. His response: He did not remember those words from the many months before.
Embrace the Opportunity of Youth
Eventually I did receive the pay upgrade I asked for, in part due to my persistence. I was at a stage in life where I did not feel burdened by a mortgage, nor worried about a family I needed to support. I felt that I had nothing to lose. I could confidently express my thoughts to my manager and that I felt that he needed to live up to what he had promised.
There is something to be said for the opportunities we are presented early in our careers - and specifically, when we can hold leaders accountable for what they have said because any repercussions will only be felt by us (i.e. without jeopardizing the security of our families).
What is your takeaway from my story?
There is a bravery and confidence we sometimes have when we are younger and we should hang onto as much as we can as we grow older.
Speak up for yourself. Persistence and determination are key when you know you have a strong point to bring across.
Understand that even companies that appear amazing in many ways, may have leaders that are less so. Do your due diligence before you give your all.
Get things in writing. I may have had less of a struggle if in stepping into my new role with added responsibility, I had asked for a new job description with a reflective salary. It would have come more naturally. Business is business and your employment is a reflection of running a business.
Knowing your value, harnessing the confidence of youth, and highlighting that all of us, including leaders, are accountable for what they promise may seem out of your comfort zone: But it is so worth being paid for the work you do.
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