Get Feedback

The very first step you should take in a situation like this, whether it's being passed over for a promotion or not meeting the goals of a particular project, is to seek feedback on why you missed the mark. In many cases, when someone is passed over for promotion, it's because they don't have certain education, soft or hard skills, need more experience, are too good in a particular position, another position is being considered for them, or similar reasons.

By understanding what the particular issue is, you can work more graciously with the individuals who were promoted and those involved in the process. If you're being considered for another position, or you're too valuable in your current position, ask about creating a training opportunity for others in your position so that you can improve your ability both to lead as well as make it easier for the company to move you out of that position eventually.

Close Skill Gaps

But what about when there's a genuine skills gap? In some industries, this includes a range of hard skills, such as making the transition from molding to additive manufacturing. In others, you may need certain certifications or licenses to be able to move into a new position. Some of these requirements may be tied to formal education, such as a college degree. Whatever the barrier is, find out what the company is willing to do to help you improve your skills and make yourself more promotable, such as tuition reimbursement or flexible scheduling for classes.

However, there's also a concern in many cases about soft skills. If you're moving into a leadership role, you may need to work on interpersonal skills to show that you can lead effectively. Before coaching new employees, you may need to work on mentoring and teaching skills so that you can bring them into their positions effectively and move them through the company. Discuss these issues with your supervisor to get ideas on what you need to work on and how you can go about improving these skills, such as teaching mini-classes to your coworkers to build your ability to mentor or leading a work crew or shift to grow your leadership abilities and interpersonal communication.

Explore Internal Mobility

In some cases, you may want to look for other promotion opportunities into other departments or specialties. This can happen when your job feels stagnant because your current boss can't let go of you acting out at a holiday party five years ago or would rather promote his friends in your current area. In these cases, it can be easier to move laterally into another position with a different team, shift, or area of the business where you will be able to be promoted in the future.

If you have concerns of this nature, approach your company's human resources department confidentially. Tell them that you feel that there is an interpersonal issue that is keeping you in your current position, and that you're looking for options within the company to move into. In many cases, the individuals in this department will know about upcoming opportunities before the rest of the company does, and can create an escape plan for you to move within the company into a better position for your future career growth.

Create an External Search Plan

What happens when a promotion creates too much disharmony and contention within the business you're working in? In this case, it may be better to simply keep your head down and start working on a plan to find a job at a new business. Start out by updating a general resume that you can adapt to each company that you apply to, and ask friends about opportunities at similar companies that they may work for. Try to keep your external job search quiet so that you don't end up losing your existing job in the meantime and have to take what you can get instead of getting into a good position when you choose to leave.

Once you've received interest from a new company, start quietly cleaning up things at your existing position to make the transition smooth, such as cleaning up files, quietly preparing transition documentation, and similar activities in your spare time. After you have agreed to a new job offer from the new company, you'll be in a good position to give notice to your existing company in a professional fashion. Be prepared that if the other company is a competitor, they may let you go immediately to avoid losing a competitive advantage. In either situation, provide your transition documentation so that you can make the change professionally.

No matter what you decide when you're passed over for a promotion, you have the ability to control your own direction. Get feedback, add skills, move from within, or get a new job and you'll be much more satisfied with the results.