Dear Yogesh, 

I have been working as a sales manager for a jewelry website that is in hypergrowth. I started working here about two years ago and have figured things out in a field where I had little experience. About 3 months ago, one of my counterparts suddenly resigned when someone else was promoted to the position of chief sales officer. 

It was a big change as now I had to manage more people than before and a new boss who I found fairly incompetent to do the job. Since she joined, my work has been very stressful and tough. I didn’t get any recognition for my hard work, even when the work was doubled and the sales target was crashing due to COVID-19. She also pretty much depends on me for everything. 

This year, I had to cover for someone who went on a six-month leave even when I had ten direct reports. When I ask for a promotion, she just denies my request by asking why I even need a title change. I’ve tried to tell to my boss multiple times who offers me money and a position, but she doesn’t seem to listen. It seems like the harder I work the more I depreciate. I don’t want to leave my team in such a bad position but it is getting hard for me to work here. What do you think I should do? 

Regards, 

Naman 

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Dear Naman, 

This really sounds hard and it is very tough to tell why your manager is denying your requests when you clearly work hard and show how competent you are. But, before we get into talking about your boss, I would really like to ask what is keeping you from resigning in the first place. You said you don’t want to leave your team hanging in the middle but is that all? 

It is evident from your efforts that you will be much happier working in a place where your manager appreciates your efforts or the product that you sell really gives you a sense of belongingness to what you do. In your question above, I did not see you praising the company or the product even once. What is keeping you where you are?

If you start working at a place that appreciates your work and has a manager who has the common decency and professionalism to talk about position change and promotion would be great for your career and personal growth. Is it possible that you started from a position of a trainee and rose to the position of a head that is giving you such a sense of ownership? 

I would suggest that you give one last quarter to your team, prepare your team to be as successful as possible without you, and help them rise through the ranks. I would also suggest that you should stop looking at the negative side of their journey and see how much everyone has improved and whether they will be able to take up what is coming their way. 

I think when things start to become a battle, your boss sends messages that you don’t matter, and you are asking yourself every day how much longer you can hold on, those are clues that it might be time to go.

Regards,

Yogesh Sood 

The above is an adaptation of a blog written by Madeleine Homan Blanchard on MARCH 12, 2022

https://resources.kenblanchard.com/blanchard-leaderchat/not-sure-whether-to-stay-or-go-ask-madeleine