I’m currently working with a couple of organizations where something recently took place, which likely happens quite a bit in organizations. They hired someone who brought tremendous qualifications, knowledge, industry experience, fortitude, and discipline to the organization. However, in two cases, of these organizations, the person hired was a woman, and incidentally, most of the people in the workplace are men. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a man or a woman, this person has earned the right for that position based on their qualifications, experience, and everything previously mentioned.
However, many of the people in that industry or organization have been working there for years. Some of them were four, five, six, and several years, and their egos got a bit bruised. I don’t care if it’s a man or a woman. If someone comes in and takes a higher position than you, and you’ve been there for a long time, your ego’s a bit bruised. But there are two things to think about that I’d like to point out. Number one, that person has earned the right for that position based on their qualifications, industry knowledge, and experience. The interview process, I’m sure was very stringent. I’m sure those who hired that person, thought very hard and long about putting him or her in that position.
So, if you have a bruised ego, realize first of all that you had the opportunity to take this position because it was up for grabs the entire time you have been working for the organization. At the conclusion of my book, Knock It Out of the Park Leadership. It is titled, earn the right. Many people earn the right for their positions and salaries because of their qualifications and everything they have done that has gone before that. Now, you could do one of two things. You can sulk with a bruised ego or you can learn from this person. You can learn from the industry knowledge and everything that they bring to the table to see the same thing in them that the leaders of the organization saw in them. You could build a relationship. You can help this person learn the particular organization’s team better by being their go-to point-person. Look at what you can learn from this person as far as experience to help you grow.
The second thing is to realize that a person is in that position for a reason. They earned it, and you had all the opportunity in the world to do the same. There are a lot of bruised egos in the business when somebody new comes in and is hired for a position that maybe you thought you could have had or should have had because of your tenure with the company. Well, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been there one week, one year, 10 years, or 20. It always comes down to how you step up, how you show up, what you bring to the table, and whether or not you earn the right for that position.
Remember, everybody’s where they’re at because of what they’ve done before that. Learn from them how to get better for you so you can be better for them, so all of you can be better for the organization. As everyone works on getting better and the organization moves forward, increased productivity, revenues, margins, and profits all will appear. And as you show up and grow accordingly, you might also win in the end by being one in helping this all happen.
COACH MICHAEL DILL is an Award-Winning Certified Business Coach, global speaker, and published author. He is a proud Action Coach Franchise partner as well as the President of Power & Ice Wealth Creation a strategic leadership company that works with business owners, leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to both develop a systematized and structured organization while accelerating their mindset, efficiencies, and effectiveness to grow both personally and professionally to achieve extraordinary results. He brings more than 40 years of business and entrepreneurial experience in his leadership, team training, and mentoring practice. Businesscoachmichaeldill.com