Dear Heather - Looking for a Ladder

Dear Heather,

I've been in my current job for about 6 years now and can't seem to move any further up in my company than the role of a property manager.  I think I'm good at my work and my employees seem to like me, but when the opportunity to move up happens, my regional always seems to find someone "better qualified."  I don't want to have to leave my current company, but I feel like I've earned a promotion and I'm getting a little burned out where I am now.  What should I do?

-Looking for a Ladder

Dear Looking for a Ladder,

I think that it shows a lot of dedication to your company that you have stayed with them for 6 years.  In the world of property management, that's a couple of lifetimes for some of us.  It can be a very difficult experience for many of us to be passed over for promotions we think we have earned, so I want you to know what you're going through is incredibly common.  My first real question to you is, have you talked directly to your regional manager about this yet?  So many times, the real problem is that we don't know what other people are thinking or wanting, and so we can't meet their needs.  Everything past this point in my reply is based on speculation and experience, so take it for what it's worth.

As a former hiring manager, one of the things I can tell you is that why you're being passed over could be due to a number of reasons.  Perhaps, as you've been with your company for a while, paying you to do a higher end job would be more expensive to the payroll right now, and for many companies, they just cannot afford to pay the internal promotion 5 or 6 thousand more a year than they would have to pay an external new hire. 

Another reason you may not be getting moved up is that there's no one who can fill your shoes.  If you are very good at your job, then it's hard for a regional manager to take the risk of someone new behind your desk who might not be able to do the job as well as you can.  In the current market, occupancy is EVERYTHING, and if you've got it, that's not a gamble most regionals will take.   The good news is that if this is the reason, then you've got a clock on the obstacle, since the economy is bound to improve AND you can mentor up your current assistant manager so that he or she could step in to your shoes more quickly.

Also, your regional manager might not yet see the skill set in you to move you up in the company.  One of the easiest ways to get noticed and move up is to either volunteer for new projects that you have a skill set well suited for or to set public goals and meet them.  Both are actions that regional managers respect and respond well to.  Step up to the plate and mentor the younger managers in the company, or offer your marketing talents to sister properties that are maybe not having as good a run in the current market as you are.

If you've found a company that you like, I encourage you to talk with your upper management.  After all, there is a reason you're still working for them after 6 years, and from their point of view, they have a lot of time and energy invested in you.  Ask your manager for a clear path of what it's going to take for you to move up with the company and then formulate your goals around that path.  It's hard not to admire people who are willing to do what it takes to get the job done.

Don't let your burnout get the better of you and your temper.  Open up your communication with your regional manager and find a new way to love your job until you can acend within the ranks of your company!

Good Luck!

Heather