Oh, this one is bringing back some emotions! If you’ve ever been in a work situation where you worked your tail off, been given the stamp of approval, and then were passed up for a promotion or new opportunity…I FEEL YA! Oh heavens, I do feel exactly what you’re feeling. Between my husband and I, we’ve had numerous venting sessions where we were just dumbfounded on how we were passed up for someone who, in our opinion, was not as qualified. It can be absolutely infuriating!
Why your response matters at work!
I will never tell you to be a doormat, but I will tell you that your response to something that feels so UNFAIR will be a big tell on how your future career is going to play out. If you plant a seed of distrust in those over you, that emotional baggage will follow you to every job and every boss you have. Distrust and lack of respect are killers in the workplace.
No matter what job you have or position you hold, build an environment around you that overflows with TRUST and INSPIRATION. Be known for them! You don’t need the big job title to be influential, but when you do become influential, opportunities WILL come.
We’re going Biblical here…
The story of the prophet Samuel anointing King Saul (the book of 1 Samuel) is a great character study on two people who both have the opportunity to become influential leaders. In short, Israel cried out to God for a king and He replied, “Fine, here’s Saul. Go have your king.” What I never caught on to, until my adult life, was that Samuel was a prophet and during that time, prophets were the judges / rulers over Israel. Basically, Samuel was in charge.
Now, because Israel was crying out that they weren’t like other nations and that they were king-less, God let them have what they wanted. But instead of just anointing Samuel as king, God told Samuel to go find Saul and anoint him. To us, it appears that Samuel was passed over for a promotion!
I would like to say that if I was Samuel, I would’ve reacted supportively and responded with “Oh yeah, I’ll get right on that. One king for Israel coming right up.” But, I know I would’ve been battling a bad seed of jealousy trying to plant itself right in my heart and mind. Questions would pop in my head of “Why on earth would you give someone, without ANY experience, a job that I’ve been GREAT at?!” And, also knowing me, I would’ve had plenty of “bathroom mirror discussions” about it.
Samuel reacted differently, and we can too!
What Samuel realized is that he didn’t need the big title of KING, he already had one…he was God’s PROPHET. His faith and trust in God’s plan led him to be extremely influential in the life of Saul. Samuel was secure in who was and what his calling was. Jealousy never snuck in because he was confident in his role. No one could take that from him and he was going to do his absolute BEST at it. Though Samuel poured into Saul all the encouragement and guidance needed, Saul never overcame his own emotional baggage. He was never secure in who HE was. That led to jealousy and eventually his downfall. Samuel stayed true to his calling and, after Saul, had the privilege to appoint the next king of Israel, David.
So when you feel overlooked, unnoticed, and passed-over, stay confident in WHO YOU are. Your confidence will help guide you through the next crucial decision you need to make…do you stay at your job or do you go? Can you make a change right where you’re at, or are your hands tied? If you react emotionally, you are more likely to make a rash decision. However, when you come at it logically, with confidence, backed up by the proof of your work, you will make the right decision.
How to be more confident at work!
No matter if you have the perfect job or you’re just DONE and ready to move on, I tell absolutely everyone these four things that will keep you confident and sure of who YOU are in the workplace.
You are your biggest advocate in your career journey! No one will fight for you harder than you, but you have to first understand who YOU are, what you bring to the table, and what those things are worth. Knowing these things will make you an unstoppable force in your career. You will become more sure of yourself and you’ll have all the data to back that confidence up. Sounds great, doesn’t it? ?
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