Anyone else never managed to make it to a supervisory/managerial level at work despite their best efforts?

[thingscouldbemarvellous]

Has this happened to anyone else?

No matter how hard I work I’ve never been able to get promoted past “assistant” level at work.

In one job I was constantly overlooked despite knowing how to do at least 3 roles within the department and the office bully was promoted. Once they left for maternity leave the role was advertised but again given to someone else.

Second job the boss told me he was what he was looking for in a supervisory role but was unable to promote me as it would cause a bad feeling amongst the rest of the team.

Current role I’ve been overlooked for a management training scheme.

How do you break through in this?! I work hard, I’ve had feedback that I go above and beyond in my roles, I get along with everyone.

Anyone had a similar situation?

Why would it have caused bad feeling in the rest of the team? In the second job, I mean.

If you're getting good feedback and you've clearly said your goal is to progress to management level then I don't understand why you're not getting the different supervisor jobs that come up.

I'm wondering if there is a reason you're not getting the jobs, something that you are unaware of.

If you can't move up in your current company and it looks like your being stonewalled (which sounds like you are) jump ship and look for a slightly more senior title. Sometimes it's the only way

I worked in the Civil Service years ago.
If you were good at your job then they were loathe to lose you to promotion. The ones who did get promoted were generally the ones who may have been rubbish at their original job but were good at networking, volunteering for eg H&S courses etc.

Being very good at your job was sometimes a curse rather than a blessing.

I had a colleague in the same position.
She was a supervisor for 7 years and in that time the company took on 2 new people for the management job she applied for asked her to train them in to the job.
She did the job in between the last person leaving and the new one starting for no extra money.
She eventually got the job when no one else applied for it.
All this time everyone was encouraging her to leave and get a better job where she was appreciated. She didn’t leave because she didn’t like change…..🤷🏼‍♀️

Have you got a decent manager that you trust in your organisation? Not necessarily your own, could be a couple of levels higher. If so, go to them, explain that you want totally honest feedback and ask them. Give them a couple of days between asking for the feedback and then having to give it. (If it was me, I’d book a verbal or face to face meeting at the same time as sending an email asking for feedback so they weren’t on the spot).

There will be something, it might or might not be fair but so many times people don’t give honest feedback as they worry about hurting feelings. Sometimes it’s a reputation that doesn’t fit any more but is hard to lose. Eg. Are you too loud. Do you tell rude jokes. Do you moan. Are you too amenable so they don’t think you have the strength to deal with tricky situations? not saying you are any of these things but a cold hard truth about why you’re not seen as management material would help you.

Have you tried externally? No need to be loyal to one company, apply for the next step up at a different organisation. That's how I've gotten all my promotions, and much faster.

I think the main thing that makes the difference is the strategic view.

Are you prepared to make hard decisions to benefit the overall aim, are you able to deal with difficult situations including staffing issues?