Passed Over for Promotion & Pay Raise:
What To Do (and Not Do)
Right After
to Get Another Shot

Be A Bad Boy Employee!
Your Boss Will Work Hard To Appease You!
(Just to get some peace of mind)

We have 8, no less, TO DOs, right after being passed over for a promotion, or a pay raise, or both.

The no. 1 DO you already know – we did a deep dive into it in part 1 and that is 1. Understand your boss’ psychology, and how it can work to your advantage.

Now let’s take this understanding of your boss’ psychology, this PSYCHOLOGICAL sophistication that you now possess, and convert it into a POLITICAL sophistication, [Whenever I say a “political” I refer only to office politics – nothing else].

This POLITICAL sophistication is priceless, because it enables you to navigate more astutely, in the whitewater rapids that are office politics.

And THAT is crucial because, it is THAT navigation that will get you that promotion and/or pay raise, that you’re so desperate to have!

In part 1 we’ve seen that your boss is very vulnerable, after passing YOU over, for a promotion or a pay raise, or both, even more so than you are. Which, at first, might have sound odd and impossible, but I think by the end of it, you were convinced.

Today we’ll see how this vulnerability of his, is your “in”, in the quest to rehabilitate, and re-build your crushed position in your department: You will learn how to use it to your advantage!

Let me give you the quickest TLDR (too long didn’t read) on that first part: You need to be a “bad boy” employee. Full stop.

And, thus, the second DO, right after being passed over for a promotion, or a pay raise, or both, is indeed the conclusion of that first DO and that is:

2. be a “bad boy” employee

As we’ve seen in part 1, there’s the paradox of the “good boy” employee, versus the “bad boy” employee. So by now, you KNOW which one will work for your advantage, and why…

But what would that actually look like? What would your boss’ appeasement (of you) potentially be? Here are some options:

Maybe your boss will give you some new responsibilities, that you would indeed like to have ; 
Or maybe LESS of the responsibilities you DON’T like.

Maybe a degree of control over projects that are near and dear to you (if you didn’t have any before) ; 
Or a greater degree of control (if you already had some) ; 
Or maybe even a lead role, in a tent-pole project, making you a true linchpin –

Sounds good doesn’t it?

Moreover, if you succeed in those new projects and responsibilities, it would be a proof-of-concept of your managerial, and even leadership skills, which is bound to help you in the next round, of a race to that coveted promotion.

So think of it as a consolation prize – it’s not the first prize you wanted, but it’s better than nothing, especially if it is within the general direction of where you wanted to go.

Thus, being a “bad boy employee” will, potentially, get you everything you wanted, in a much easier, and straightforward way, than you could have ever expected.

PLUS, it could be a real boost to you at this time, after being passed over, both psychologically and practically.

Now it’s worth noting – and as a realist I would be remiss not to mention it: No one can say FOR SURE what your boss may or may not do FOR SURE. It depends on a complex matrix of a billion moving parts, which is why I CAN’T promise you anything – NOBODY can.

BUT, isn’t it worth a shot? Especially when you compare it to where you are right now…?