Originally posted on http://www.thecareertimes.com/4-ways-to-handle-negativity-about-your-new-earned-promotion/

If you're doing well in the work place and maybe earn a promotion, get ready to be hated/ envied by your colleagues and even 'friends'. This is a sad reality of life.

Below is a great article on how to handle this, and rise above it.


If you have worked hard to earn your new, elevated position, it’s always a refreshing and rewarding experience to finally be given the chance to prove yourself at the higher level you have long aspired towards.
Sadly, not everyone is likely to be as excited as you are about your promotion – even if you have worked hard to earn it. It’s just the way human beings are. I once worked with a team of 5, and within 9 months, the team manager left the company and there was an opening for a new manager. Without even knowing that such an opportunity would arise, I had worked my hardest throughout the 9 month period, so it came as no surprise that I was offered the manager position – and accepted it with glee! Somehow, each person feels that a promotion is their right, and that by getting promoted, you have deprived them of what is rightfully theirs. Well, do not let this deter you from feeling as great as you do, and maximising every opportunity your new role brings.
Here are 4 strategies that will get you off to a flying start in your new role..

1. Be graceful but unapologetic
There is sometimes the tendency to feel a bit of guilt about your new position, especially if you were selected from among your peers. While it is important to remain graceful and level-headed, you should also wholeheartedly accept your new position along with the new level of responsibility that it brings, with pride. You have worked hard, sacrificed and paid your dues, and should therefore not feel the need to apologise to anyone for getting rewarded. When I got my first ever promotion, I tried at first to please (even appease) my then subordinates, by going out of my way to show that I still saw them as peers. However, that strategy soon backfired. What I got in return was ‘attitude’ – the people who I was supposed to be managing began to act as though they were managing me. Well, needless to say, I took off my ‘nice’ hat, replaced it with my ‘boss’ hat, and didn’t look back. The results were outstanding.

2. Start as you mean to continue
I have heard the above quote used several times, and nothing could be more true in this case. When you become a new manager or take on a new level of responsibility, you must start out with a big bang – let the world know that you mean business. This doesn’t have to mean a change in personality or character, but it must mean that you take on your challenge with all the seriousness that it deserves, as the precedent you set when you begin is most likely what will determine what direction your tenure takes.

3. Do not react in kind
It is not unlikely that you may meet with serious resistance or negativity from members of your organisation when you get promoted. If this happens, it is extremely important that you react with grace. Resist the temptation to react with negativity. Remember that you have assumed a higher level of responsibility (and expectation) and often, such negativity could be a test of your character. It is possible to be firm without being negative. Embrace ‘firm’ but avoid ‘negative’. If, fr example, some colleagues begin to spread negative information around, about you, ensure that you do not retaliate by joining gossip sessions. Rather, stay above the fray and remain professional.

4. Remember why you got promoted
While your promotion is certainly an achievement, always remember that the sky is – as I like to call it – the starting point. For as long as you are on this earth, there’s always a higher level to pursue, so rather the rest on your oars believing that you have finally ‘arrived’, you should keep the future in focus and aspire of your next great level. This mindset will be helpful in keeping you on track and avoiding negativity.