I’m an HR Generalist and had been with the company a year and five months when I learned my manager would be relocating to another of our facilities. Our Director of Operations did not want to offer me an interview for her position even though my manager said she had confidence in my abilities but did admit she had done nothing to engage me with the Leadership Team since I have been with the company and she took responsibility for that. Do you think this hurts my opportunity for growth within the company from this point forward? I do feel it is going to hurt my credibility within the company and certainly within our facility that I was not promoted or interviewed for the position. Also, our Corporate Director of HR has not ‘reached out’ to make a comment one way or another. Should I be concerned as to ‘where I fit in with the Team at this point? Thanks for your input.

The Team Doc Says…

I’m sorry to hear about your situation, but the past is really water under the bridge for now. My question to you would be, “Do you like this company and feel you can be a productive team member in the current environment?” If the answer is no, it’s time to start job hunting. If the answer is yes, then it’s time you took charge of your career and set up an individual development plan to grow into your personal aspirations.

So let’s assume your answer is yes.

Take some time to think through where you want your career to go. Look out at least five years. Then brainstorm what it will take for you to reach those five year goals. Do you need to go back to school? Do you need on the job training? Do you need exposure to higher levels of leadership in the organization? What else do you need? Define each of these items and what your expectations are for each items outcome.

After you’ve finished this exercise, it’s time to sit down with your manager and have a discussion about how you can achieve what you have set out to do. It will take some time. Be patient. And let me know how it’s working out for you.