Those Three Special Words

I know what you're immediately thinking. This post is another sappy tale about my love for the man-friend, or the post that I've been you I with writing about why in God's name we're not engaged yet. Alas, this post is about another three words: You're Being Promoted. 

I find myself learning new things everyday which constantly validates that I'm still in the right career. However, what is the line in which you've learned enough and done enough that someone thinks that you deserve a fancier title and more money?  I certainly do not have this answer. I think about the guidance that I give employees every day about their career path including technical skills and soft skills combined with experiences and accountabilities. It sounds good, right?  Coaching someone else's career is so much easier than finding a way to advance your own. Truthfully I think that as much as you need the pieces that I mentioned prior, you need the stars to align too. There has to be a need at the right time; there has to be someone who has noticed your rockstar work who has some influence; there needs to be a mere need to pay you more money and more work available. It does happen because I've seen it. Sometimes it's luck and sometimes it's persistence but it's never without timing. ...and boy do I pray for timing a lot!!  

This week we promoted a girl who applied for a role "on a whim". She isn't prepared for the role and not ready for the promotion but the hiring manager chose her. A move from manager to director, a $30k plus increase in base salary and tons of travel to great locations. All "on a whim". ::sigh::  The stars aligned and the timing worked and this girl will find herself in a new tax bracket by the end of the month. Am I happy for her?  Sure!  Am I baffled how people stumble into these ones despite spending almost ten years in a HR career?  Definitely. 

The working world seems so easy some days:  show up, work hard, go home.  Other days it feels like a course in Mandarin. The 40-hour work week has gotten fuzzy. Work/life balance is less of a balance and more like one of those crazy headstand poses in yoga. These things become the expectation and then the norm and then you're simply "achieving" until you step up your game again. The expectation is constantly on the rise. And while I believe that we should continue to raise the bar in order to stay ahead in business, when does the bar raising mean recognition for those who can follow it?  Is there ever a level in which people have delighted someone enough to be above the bar?  Or will we chase the bar forever?

I wish I knew the answers to these questions. I'd probably have gotten promoted and written a book long ago. I'm all ears though if someone has the answers, or a suggestion on a book that may hold them. There are A LOT of books out there. It's hard to find ones that are relevant and not hokey. I'm pretty confident that I'm doing good work, but am still waiting for that fancy chicken kitchen timer to ding with my time!