Considering Taking A Promotion? Five Questions To Ask Yourself Before Accepting The Offer

It’s a big deal to be offered a promotion, but more responsibility isn’t for everyone. Here are some things to think about before you say yes.

How do I want work to fit into my life?

Since the pandemic, many people are reconsidering their relationship to work. “Now more than ever, I'm seeing people really question whether they want a promotion, more responsibility, more pressure,” said Melody Wilding, author of Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work, during a discussion on AirTalk.

So ask yourself: Do you want your work to fit around your life, or your life to fit around your work?

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What kind of work do I want to be doing?

“When you think about your one, three, five-year vision, where you want to be in the future, what does that look like?” said Wilding.

By drilling down on what they really want for their careers, she said, many people realize they want to stay the practitioner, or the subject matter expert. And, she added, that may point to perhaps making a lateral move versus taking a promotion.

Is my ego playing tricks on me?

“I often have clients where the company will say we've created this new role just for you, which can be very flattering,” said Wilding. But it can also add extra pressure for you to accept the role, and it's not easy to turn down a chance to climb the corporate ladder.

“We're brought up to believe that you always want to be climbing the next rung and that getting to the next level is the definition of being successful in your career," Wilding said." And so I think it's very natural for people to be …motivated by your ego and wanting to have more prestige, more power, more influence.”

She said it's important when considering a promotion to ask yourself what success looks like if you stay in your current role.

What is my gut telling me?

As you reflect on whether the promotion is the right move for you, Wilding suggested making a distinction between whether you're being driven by “push” motivation or “pull” motivation. Push motivation is fear-based. It’s the feeling that "if you don't take it, you're going to miss out on some big opportunity or people will judge you."

Pull motivation is motivated more by instinct. “It may feel scary, it may feel daunting, but you feel pulled towards it nevertheless because you know that, in the long run, it's going to be in your best interest,” she said.

What do I need to be successful in this role?

If you were to take the promotion, what would you need to succeed? More staff? A bigger budget? A flexible work schedule? "Now is the time to be explicit about expectations,” advised Wilding. “You're in a position of higher leverage when you're asked to take a promotion because they want you.”

She suggested getting any promises in writing so that you can revisit down the line whether they’re being kept.

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