JT & Dale Talk Jobs: My boss blocked my promotion

J.T.: Unfortunately, over my many years as a career coach, I can tell you that bosses like this don’t change. He does not understand that it’s in his best interest for employees to grow, thereby creating loyalty and attracting even better candidates based on his reputation as a leader. Instead, he’s more focused on protecting his own needs. You can continue to try to find a job within the organization, but my gut says he’ll block it. As much as you love working there, I would say it’s time to find another company. There are lots of good organizations out there, and with the skills that you’ve gained, you should be able to find one that will invest in you so that you can grow.

DALE: Many years ago, I had a realization: I wasn’t as good a boss/leader as some others I was encountering in corporate life. That inspired a years-long inquiry into what great bosses did differently. One of my revelations was how they thought about employee turnover. I’d assumed that the best bosses would assemble a top-notch team and then do everything to keep them together for ... well, forever. No. Great bosses wanted to hire people so talented and so ambitious that they would need to move on. I still remember my early interview with Lou Holtz (football coach, national championship with Notre Dame) where he explained that he worked to get his assistants better jobs elsewhere. Amazed, I asked him if he wasn’t frustrated by the need for endless hiring. He wasn’t. Why? He kept a “secret list” of coaches he’d like to hire and couldn’t wait to see what the next one could bring to the team. So, don’t just look for a great job, find a great boss.