How to manage promotion anxiety

Career confidence shifts and wanes through time, often influenced by those around you. Are you most confident when surrounded by support and trust, in a role that enables growth, challenge and you can witness your achievements? Even within these, seemingly, perfect company cultures, many can have a “working wobble” when the next career step is suggested. Today, I want to talk about how to manage promotion anxiety.

When we have a champion at work, they see our potential, even when we can’t see it ourselves. They are the ones that talk about us when we aren’t in the room, provide us with projects that stretch and expand our skills, and are the first to encourage us to take the next step in our careers. They are a mentor and chief encourager. Whilst they are pivotal in developing a career to enjoy, sometimes their ambition is a step ahead of our own.

It’s natural to feel a sense of apprehension when you are faced with a potential promotion. When this happens, many people will intuitively leap to the belief that they are not capable of this move, rather than consider that everyone feels uncertain about change, even when it’s a good thing!

When helping clients with their careers, I often suggest a reflection decision-making exercise. To look back on all their career moves to date, and to honestly consider WHY that decision was made. It is no surprise, for many people, this was an outside influence. A leader, manager or colleague who highlighted an opportunity, rather than something they had proactively pursued. 

So, what happens when your Number One Cheerleader suggests you take a career step that you don’t feel ready for? You want a moment of reflection, and a chance to calm that internal voice that may be screaming “Don’t risk anything!”. You want to get to a place where you can feel confident enough to put yourself forward; even when don’t feel 100% ready.

 

Try this five-part reflection to manage your promotion anxiety and feel more confident about your next career step. 

Pay attention to your biases

Confirmation bias is one of the many biases that run riot through our brains. Very simple it only notices the evidence that reinforces the thought, even if it’s negative. So, if you are telling yourself, you aren’t ready for a promotion or a new role, then guess what! ALL you will notice is the evidence around you that supports that. So, use this to your advantage. Reframe that thought to something more useful, such as:

I have enough transferable skills.

I can learn what I need for this role.

I can do this!

 

Who is your champion?

If you have someone who has earmarked you for a new role, then be direct and ask them to explain their reasoning. So often we don’t see our skills and experience in the same way as others. The things that we take for granted are the thing that makes us stand out. See yourself through their eyes for a while!

 

Consider where you started

At one point you weren’t as established in the role as you are in now. You were new to the sector and had to learn through experience. Take a moment to remind yourself how you are capable of learning new things, whilst reminding yourself of everything you have achieved. Consider not just what you have done, but HOW it happened, pinpointing the skills you have used. You can start to build a capable version of yourself; of a person that is ever-evolving and learning. No one is a finished article, regardless of the time in a job! 

 

How can you find out more about the role?

You don’t know what you don’t know! If you have someone that is currently doing a similar role, ask about the realities of the day to day. You may THINK you don’t have the skills; let’s uncover the truth. Through this process, one of two things will occur. You will start to see how your background is relevant, strengthening your application. Or, you will discover you do have gaps in knowledge or skills. So, you can work on developing these in the role that you are in. Don’t forget your champion who sees your potential; how can they help? 

 

Finally, catastrophize! 

Ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen if you apply for it? Then, what is the worst that can happen if you get the job? You may notice that there are two very distinct questions there. Firstly, if you don’t apply you Won’t get your promotion (but you will avoid the promotion anxiety you are feeling). But, if you apply, you don’t have to accept the job! Are you scared of rejection? What can you do to minimise that fear? 

Secondly, consider what is the worst that can happen if you get the job? For many that is a failure; walk through what this means to you, and again what you can do you reduce the risk of that happening.

 

Hopefully, by walking through each of these five steps, you can reduce the anxiety you are feeling right now and give yourself the best chance to take the next career step. However, a final point to leave you with. If after going through all these points, you decide that your champions ambitions do not match YOUR version of career success, you don’t have to go for it! Maybe, just maybe, the anxiety is telling you to refine what a career to enjoy looks like!

 

If you are looking for more support in defining your career success or developing your CV or Interview Technique, then book a call to find out more about the coaching and consultancy packages.

You can also join Creating Careers to Enjoy, a Facebook group where over 500 people are creating their version of career success. 

 

 

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