Make the Right Worklife Decision: Part One

Part one:

You spend most of your life at work, so the dramas you hear about in other people’s lives will most likely happen to you! Here’s a few of the most frequent... 

Turning down work after an offer.
 If for some reason you need to decline an offer you’ve verbally accepted, it could put you in a very awkward position. You don’t want to burn any bridges in fear of ruining your future, yet you really cannot accept the offer.

Solution:
Talk to the company, explain your situation and decline gracefully. It will most likely still be a little awkward, but it’s the best way to handle this kind of situation. If it’s something you don’t want (for any reason) then you won’t have the drive and motivation that their second choice will have. 

Asking for a promotion.
It’s something that employers will come to expect, but it still doesn’t make it any easier!

Solution: You should think about this before you do it, however. Why should you be promoted? Make a case for yourself and identify the reasons you feel you deserve the raise. What you definitely shouldn’t do is compare yourself to others or make it sounds like you’re owed the promotion.
Try to focus on what more you have to give. If you’re getting more money, what is your employer getting more of?

Graciously leaving
The time will come when you’re thinking of leaving for whatever reason, but it doesn’t have to be a scary process.

Solution: Give plenty of notice – don’t leave your employer struggling for time to recruit your replacement. Complete projects you’re in the middle of, as to minimise confusion when your replacement tries to figure out what’s what. Chat to your boss about why you’re going, and leave on good terms. Let them know why you’re going and give plenty of time, but be firm and stick to your guns (especially if you’re expecting to be begged to stay!)

Being a telltale

In the event of you becoming aware of someone else’s mistake, it can be a moral dilemma deciding whether or not to dish the dirt. Is it your place to say?

The best course of action is probably to keep the reporting to when it’s really needed, such as when a colleague has performed a fraudulent action, or something which will cause the company harm. Things such as being late or stealing a pen probably aren’t worth the risk. Make sure any reporting you do is in confidence to an authoritative figure who won’t put your career at risk.

To be continued..