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Getting rejected for a promotion is no game.

It’s sad. It’s frustrating. It’s difficult. It’s disappointing...and of course can derail the career goals of a manager like yourself..

While you can’t turn back the clock, you can do some important damage control. Read on...

Four gameplans to avoid when you’ve been rejected:

1.  Playing from the gut

You’re sure that there’s some sinister reason you were rejected. And it makes you so mad that what you feel like doing is getting up, storming out of your boss’s office, and slamming the door behind you. Sure, you’re entitled to feel this way, but losing control can cause irreparable damage. So even if you see yourself leaving the company at some point anyway, don’t do it now. Because if you make a scene, it’ll just confirm to your boss that they’ve made the right decision - and of course block any future chances of promotion.  Instead, take action only once you’ve calmed down and really weighed the pros and cons. Acting on reason - and not emotion -  is always the best way to promote the career goals of a manager like yourself.

2.  Playing “Clue”

You’re dying to know who got the promotion instead of you. (And you’d probably like to kill them.) But this isn’t the time to concern yourself with others. And if you think you know who it might be, it really doesn’t matter right now. The important thing is to prevent yourself from bad mouthing that person at all costs. Such behavior, again, will confirm to your boss that indeed you weren’t the right person to get promoted.

3.  Playing detective

Sure you’d like to know EXACTLY why you were rejected, but now is not the time to find out. You might be surprised to discover that your boss is also feeling really uncomfortable now. And any answer you’d get would probably be sugar-coated anyway. So leave your curiosity aside at the moment while everyone is walking on eggshells.

4.  Playing the hero

A common way of ending this kind of unpleasant meeting is for your boss to ask you how you feel or what your plans are now. I know what you feel like telling them, but try to curb your temptation. Dealing with rejection takes time and you owe it to yourself to calm down and look at things from a rational point of view. So if you’re asked, just let your boss know you’re a bit shocked at the moment and that you’d like some time to think about it. In this way, you keep your composure and future doors open.

Future gameplans…

Let’s hope this is the first and last time you’ll have to endure such an unpleasant experience. Your job now is to regroup, make some tough decisions, and make a gameplan to pick up the pieces.

I wish you the best of luck.

And always remember:

Great managers are made. Not born.

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