Asking for a promotion

[FizzyLaces]

Hi wise people. I have developed a project which is new, innovative and has been rolled out on a large scale. I have saved loads of money for my employer (LA), but am still on the same grade as I have been for years. A promotion would bring with it a new job description and may make life difficult on my team as I would become management, but I am managing and working way above my grade anyway. WWYD??

Oh, and I looooooove my job and want to stay with the project :)

So I'm not quite sure what you're asking.

First of all, though, congratulations on your project - that's a fantastic achievement (and I think personally I'd be looking to offer that experience to other LAs but that's a different question).

Is there a role into which you want to be promoted? Do you think you should be rewarded with a promotion, i.e. having your job regraded so that if you left and they readvertised the job would stay on the higher grade? Or are you basically saying, with some justification, that your LA should find a way to reward you for your hard work?

If you're managing the team anyway, who's actually meant to be doing that? Would you in effect be having to go to your boss and say that you're doing a large part of his/her job so can you be promoted to reflect that?

Finally I think you may have to choose, between sticking with your project and moving into management. So by all means seek the reward you have earnt, but perhaps don't hang your hat on promotion as the best way of being rewarded.

The thing is, Trib, another couple of people have been employed on said project at the same grade as me and I am managing them unofficially, but wasn't allowed to participate in recruiting so we have ended up with folk I wouldn't have chosen. Not meaning to drip, but I think my boss is is deliberately holding the project back by chosing people who are not ideal (out of jealousy as she was resistant from the beginning and I have had to seek support from her seniors).

OTOH, I feel very loyal to this project and want to continue to drive it... I hate bloody workplace politics.

And thank you, hadn't thought about looking to offer my experience to other LA's... Do you mean as a consultant? How does one go about this?