Hearing No

 Recently I was passed over for a promotion at work. It was an excellent opportunity that I was well suited to take on, and I felt like it was pretty much a "lock". Turns out it was not. Another individual was selected, and I was told how well I did in the interviews (2) and that they were glad that I applied for the position. 

I realize that there is much more to a hiring decision than I can see...I've hired people too, and I know how this stuff works. The problem I'm having here is that, over the years, I have been in conversations with the current hiring manager about what type of person would be the best fit for this role and how that person should be chosen because it makes the most sense for the operation and for the team. The hiring manager went completely against what was talked about in those discussions and hired the exact opposite.

This feels a lot like a betrayal, but I also know it isn't exactly about me. There is also other forces at play here that I am not able to see and things that sway these types of decisions one way or the other. I'm in a good place where I am, but hearing "No" is always hard to take, and then, even more so when you see what decision was made.

Does this come down to who self-promoted themselves enough to the point of gluttony?  Perhaps. I don't know. What I do know is that the work I do and the way I lead and motivate my team, along with my track record at this place and my history of reaching out to others to help them, should speak for itself. Sadly, that is not the case.

It remains to be seen if this decision will be a good one or not. Either way, it sucks to hear "No".