Dear Khun Munthana: I have worked in a large organisation for around 26 years. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management. Previously my work mainly involved administration and finance and I occupied the position of section head. Now, however, I am a supervisor and my roles involve payment of service agreements and evaluations.
Recently I received my latest performance evaluation and was graded B, the same grade I have had for a few years now. In my opinion I have tried to work hard and better myself by taking English classes and the like, but my attempts never seem to satisfy my boss. It is true that most staff members in my unit have better English, but it is also the case that my boss has her favourite subordinates and she prefers them for promotion. Even though I am trying harder and harder, I don't seem to make any progress and I'm starting to feel like my efforts are simply a waste of time.
What can I do to solve this problem? Please kindly help me. Thank you so much.
Best regards,Podjaman
Dear Khun Podjaman: I do understand how you feel. After spending 26 years with an organisation, you seem to have become struck in a loop going nowhere. It is pretty common for staff who have spent over two decades in a job to find their roles become routine. During those 26 years there will have been many joiners and leavers. New joiners with experience of other industries seem to make better progress after joining a company. But there are two sides to every coin and the bright side is that the owners of the company usually value long-service staff and treat them well.
In your case, you said you have been trying hard to brush up on skills such as English language, but that you don't seem to be able to satisfy your boss. So put yourself in your boss's shoes and try to think what she really expects from you. Your contribution may not be one of her requirements and she may have difficulty in pleasing all her subordinates, which is why her actions may sometimes be misinterpreted. You have to realise that she probably has to make hard decisions about staff and simply isn't in a position to please everyone.
My advice is to give some credit to your boss. You think that she is going to promote her favourites and I agree that there are some personal and emotional issues involved here. You explain how you are trying to improve your skills and that your boss is never been pleased but perhaps you exaggerate? Believe me, the candidates for promotion won't be listed as such only for their English abilities.
I recommend you not to keep this irritating issue to yourself. It is about time you sit down with your boss and talk frankly. Ask for a review of your performance appraisal to see where you disagree with your boss on ratings. You should ask her why you have not been promoted and clarify the development required to get promoted, including her expectations. Then review your KPI for mutual understanding and as a basis for evaluation next year.
Good luck!! Munthana
Ashca