[USER]

With FIRE being the end goal, seeking some career advice as I am at a cross roads:
The past 8-10 months I have been groomed for a executive leadership position.

I have taken on extra duties to get my name out, brand out, work out, to the rest of the corporate leadership team.

This has taken 2-3 extra hours of work per week.

I am in a niche field so the only way up in the organization is through attrition/promotion of others.

The person who has been grooming me for this executive leadership position was up for promotion to “Chief of XYZ” with the intention that I would take his executive director role.

However, we just found out someone else was chosen for that role completely axing our plan.

I feel I am at a crossroads. I am tired of doing “extra”, not being compensated and having to wait my turn.

The executive leadership team is [now] well aware of who I am and the quality of my work product.

Question: do I relinquish myself from these extra duties and just focus on my day job and get my work life balance back?

One task that I completely hate is facilitating a weekly 90 min process improvement call that is rife with ulterior motives, inefficiencies, and ego.

I have already been credited by the leadership team with keeping that dysfunctional working group productive and afloat.

Few more details: 34 years old, healthcare industry, next promotion would be $75k-$100k jump in salary.

[Jason]

EXTRA? 2-3 hours per week cmon man. There a many employees that put in an extra 2-3 hours a DAY and don’t get extra compensation.

(Teachers, many Nurse Practitioners)

[Melissa]

Use all that new skill and attention to get the next level job somewhere else

[Tracy]

Idk what your salary is now but if that’s your increase, I assume it’s at least that much. Work-life balance for me every time.

Whether that means cutting back in hours or finding a new employer.

Live less lavishly and enjoy life, friends, and family.

Also, you may burn yourself out when working hard while feeling lack of appreciation or acknowledgement.

[David]

That’s a question only you can answer. If you relinquish those duties, it’s not usually something you just pick back up when another promotion comes up.

When I left the corporate world, working long hours were almost bragging rights. Those executive positions are live to work positions.

The trade off is much higher pay, even exponential pay when you get to the top of the food chain. It’s a decision only you can make.

How badly do you want to reach the top of the mountain?

[Matthew]

If you do more, you should get more. Make them pay what you are worth, with or without the title, or go and get the title and the pay somewhere else.

Worklife balance is an entirely separate consideration.

It’s not like you’ll be doing less work no matter how you go about it unless you go back to how it was when it was a good balance.

If you do more than you have to for your job though, get paid like it.

[Jim]

There’s always the possibility that the exec above you who was passed over will either end up leaving as a result of the snub (or being recruited away by a competitor after they start taking the inbound calls) or [a longer shot] will end up taking another role higher in the company.

I wouldn’t take the first few weeks to kick up a stink, some of which will inevitably get stuck to you. Give it at least a month before agitating for changes.

For me, I’d probably keep doing the extra 30 minutes per day, but if you really don’t want to and want to cap your career at the current place, you’d be well within your rights to say you won’t do it any more.

[Lauren]

Can the person who was working on the succession plan help you find out where the people making these decisions see you? Can they help you get extra comp for your duties?

If your work on the process improvement team is highly valued but a time suck, are there pieces you can delegate?

Finally how tight is the labor market for your field? Being passed over might just be a signal to see what else is out there.

[Donna]

I say give it a year or 6 months, the chosen person may not last. I will keep looking in those 6 months though because I’m sure you can find that role in another competitor company but the only thing is you have to be ready to start new and handle a team you don’t know yet.

Sometimes, there’s a reason why companies don’t promote deserving employees.

They would rather keep you where you are to keep the balance if you are one of the pillars and just hire someone else who can do the job for that other role.

It’s more for business needs nothing more, they don’t care about feelings.

Work life balance is very important but it depends where you are in life. It seems though too early for you to prioritize that based on your post.

I prioritized this at 33 but it’s because I’m a mom too and I tell you what, the peace it brings is priceless, as long as salary is good I could care less for promotion in the next 5 years I have with my son til he goes to college.

We all know we have limited time with our children before they become adults.

More money means more stress if you are in corporate America. There’s a time for everything and this crossroad needs soul searching.

[Stephanie]

They’re used to the free labor now and will continue to expect. I suppose the person that did receive the promotion experienced something similar.

This is corporate America. You can also take what you have learned and apply for other positions.

[Aaron]

I’d ask the person grooming you what happened. Maybe someone else was just a better fit but you’re still an option in the future.

Only you can decide if the extra money is worth the time.

I wouldn’t expect your hours to go down with a promotion higher though.

[Chris]

You really only get paid what you’re worth when you leave for another role. It sucks but companies don’t do the right thing and take care of the people who got them there.

If you speak up you’re a complainer, so you have to leave or get a role and say I will stay for a clear plan to X this position and make this much or good luck training my replacement, you have outgrown the current role.

[Author]

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