4 Thoughts When Your Co-worker Gets a Promotion - The Muse

4 Thoughts When Your Co-worker Gets a Promotion - The Muse4 Thoughts When Your Co-worker Gets a PromotionMeet Jamie. Jamie really loves her job. The work is rewarding, the perks cant be beat, and she shares tight bonds with her team members- particularly with Kate, a colleague who Jamie has worked closely with for the past year and a half.Then one day, seemingly totally out of the blue, a company-wide email goes out announcing a well-deserved promotion for Kate. Jamie is happy for her, of course. But, she also cant help but to trace her way up the company org chart in her head and realize that- gasp- Kate now ranks above her. Kate was once her peer and equal, and now shes technically her superior.Cue the horror movie soundtrack and the cheesy screams.Sound familiar? If you work in an office for long enough, occasionally things like promotions and departmental moves will push some of your team members one step higher than you on that proverbial ladder. And, as strange as it might be, that seemingly subtle change in dynamics can stir up a lot of irrational feelings and emotions- like the four Ive pulled together right here. 1. It Shouldve Been MeYou werent at all interested in that open role that your colleague just landed. Sure, it mightve been a step up in terms of responsibilities, but you knew you werent qualified and you had zero desire to handle half of the tasks associated with that position- so you didnt even bother tossing your hat into the ring.But, lets face it- that really doesnt matter. When its announced that one of your co-workers scored that position, those feelings of jealousy still find a way to sit like a rock in the bottom of your stomach anyway. Rest assured, this reaction is natural- especially if you did in fact put yourself up for that promotion as well. When a colleague of yours takes a step forward, it almost always feels like a step back for you. But, in those moments when you find yourself turning green with envy, remind yourself of th e fact that someone elses success doesnt equate to your failure. This wasnt the right opportunity for you. Your time will come. 2. Im Going NowhereWhen your co-worker- the one who was always on a level playing field with you and made you feel that much better about where you were in your own career- grabs the next rung of that ladder, its usually mora than enough to plant seeds of self-doubt in your own mind.This is it, you tell yourself. Its all over. This is as far as I go here. Youre suddenly convinced that one job was the only way up within your organization- there will never be another opportunity for you to advance now that your team member just scored what you believe to be the very last promotion on the face of the planet. When you feel like youre being left in your colleagues dust, this is a tempting thought. But, take a breath and remind yourself that- while this specific opportunity is off the table- obviously this means that your company believes in promoting from within . If anything, thats great news for you. 3. That Friendships OverPreviously, you two shared an awesome work friendship. Youd eat lunch together and catch up on what was happening in your lives outside of the office. When something crazy happened, that particular colleague was always the one you wanted to run and tell. And at company happy hours, youd always find yourselves sharing an appetizer at the same table. But, now that he or she technically ranks above you in the company hierarchy, youre convinced that your friendship has come to a screeching halt. No more jokes or friendly conversations- now you need to be strictly business.Heres the truth That relationships bound to shift a little bit. Thats to be expected. However, it doesnt mean that now you need to change your entire demeanor and be perfectly buttoned up all of the time. In reality, that would only seem strange to a co-worker who obviously knows you better than that. In short, you can absolutely still be friendly with th at person who is now your superior- provided you remain professional and respectful. But, honestly, thats the way you shouldve been acting already. 4. My Job Just Got a Whole Lot EasierAfter your brain has worked through all of those inevitably terrible things that are sure to happen now, your eyes might just open to a potential perk of this new situation Maybe now you dont need to work quite as hard.Now that you share a close bond with somebody in leadership, its easy to think that you have an ace in your pocket. If you want to cut out early on a Friday or shirk a particular responsibility that youve always dreaded, you can lean on that loyal co-worker to pull for you. After all, he knows what its like to be in your shoes. Are you ready for the bad news? While I hate to be the one to crush your dreams, this couldnt be further from the truth. Just because one of your own has moved up doesnt give you permission to kick your feet up and start to slack off. If anything, it should serve as your motivation to work even harder.Of course, youre happy when your colleagues earn a promotion. However, youre only human- the fact that someone who was previously your peer is now your superior can dredge up plenty of irrational and unexpected feelings.First, take comfort in the fact that you arent the only one who deals with a strange mix of emotions when something like this happens.And, after that? The best thing you can do is to focus on continuing to be a reliable employee who produces strong work. In the end, that can never come back to bite you.