What higher management gives, it can taketh away. And when your overlings revoke that prestigious promotion — dumping you back onto the factory floor with the proletariat — the reverse vertigo can leave you feeling like a token trapped in the company’s game of Chutes and Ladders.
The temptation for most corporate job-climbers who take a title tumble is to hop up, dust off and dive back in as if nothing ever happened. But if you’d like to bounce back, you ought to first seek a sanctuary where you can vent.
“You need to have a support system outside of work where you can express how you feel,” career coach Barbara Frankel says. “After you’ve gotten out your anger, express it to your boss where it’s just at the level of disappointment. You can say, ‘You know, I’m not happy about this, I really enjoyed and preferred that other job.’”
Once you’ve gathered a clear head, don’t be afraid to drive a hard bargain.
“Most people start to feel like they’re just being moved around, so they don’t step up and negotiate,” Frankel adds. “Enlist your boss and talk about what’s possible from here.”
“It may be that your company doesn’t see you as a big contributor. This could be an opportunity for you to step up,” she adds.
Or, your demotion can also be a chance to leave.
“No one’s got a gun to your head, forcing you to accept the situation,” offers Maggie Mistal, host of Sirius Radio’s “Making a Living.”
They’re nudging you out
For many companies, a title downgrade is a tactic to nudge an unwanted toward the exit chute. “It may mean that they’re demoting you so that you’ll be so disgruntled that you leave on your own,” Frankel notes. “You may perceive that the company is trying to push you out the door, and for some, it may be the case.” If that’s so, she says, it might be time to consider life in another office.
