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Don't want to be a manager? Good! Management doesn't think you can be, anyway

Reading J.T.’s post reminded me of the 1937 quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." What this means in the workplace, in my opinion, is that you always have a choice as to how you are perceived. You can decide how to respond to negative stereotypes, how to behave when people disrespect you, and how to change the minds of corporate skeptics. This is true for management and employees alike; and doing nothing to correct the wrong impressions is a decision, too.

The often-mentioned “sense of entitlement” is one of the main “beefs” my executive coaching clients bring up when they talk about their staff’s attitudes. While this may be in part a generational thing, it is common knowledge that “a sense of entitlement” is the source of a lot of whining in the workplace. “I put in my time, now I should get the promotion” or “How come so-and-so got into that choice project, instead of me? Management screwed up again”.

The North American workplace, by and large, is a meritocracy. If you do your job well, exceed expectations, are pleasant to be around, have a positive work ethic, and can be relied upon to help your co-workers, chances are that your efforts will be recognized. You can accelerate that process by conducting a strategic Internal PR campaign, but it starts with your attitude. Nobody “owes” you anything, not even a job. So if you want to keep the job, start thinking about what you’re doing to earn it. I wrote a post about this not so long ago, and just recently updated it: click here to read it.

Last updated on May 19, 2009 at 02:23 PM
Category: Career Marketing Career Strategies
6 comments | Leave a comment (must be logged in)

Comments:

Yup, we have to prove we deserve our pay, whether you own your own business or not...strive for greatness. good read.

By game on 2009 06 15

Comments:

Management skills are the foremost thing to be learned to work under someone. You should know how to tackle people with different behavior.

By KristinJones on 2011 12 20

Comments:

Management is the skill that we need to manage resources. There should be a management team in a industry to manage whole resources used in any field.

By Carmen7Skinner@aol.com on 2011 12 27

Comments:

Without management the industry or any firm is totally incomplete..Today management plays a very vital role in not only industrial but each and every other field..

By jackchivy on 2012 01 07

Comments:

Management is one of the toughest work in any organization. It need lot more skills to manage effectively.

By antonjackson on 2012 02 01

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