Look at a driver’s journey. He starts with a Maruti 800, then moves to an Alto, later a Creta, and finally a Honda City.
The cars change, the brand changes, but his job remains exactly the same: to drive. That’s how #promotions often feel in #IndianCorporates.
It means recognition, progress, and of course sweets at the office desk.
Take “Rohit,” a Senior Manager in a mid-sized company. After years of slogging, he was eagerly waiting to be promoted to Assistant General Manager.
Finally, the big day arrived. On his first morning as AGM, he walked into the office, sat at the same desk, and requested HR to replace his stiff chair with a revolving one.
HR politely replied: “Please get sign-off from your Head of Department.”
Rohit smiled on the outside, but deep down wondered:
“If I still need the same signatures, same permissions, and the same budget battles, but what exactly has changed? Just that my salary slip got a slightly bigger line item?” That evening, his junior teased: “Saheb, congratulations! You are now AGM …”
But Let’s Pause: What is Promotion Really? Traditionally, promotion should mean a change in: Responsibility, Accountability and Authority. But in many organizations, promotions resemble a Bollywood movie where the trailer is more exciting than the actual film. Your designation changes: Assistant Manager → Deputy Manager → Manager → Senior Manager → Assistant General Manager → Deputy General Manager → Senior Deputy General Manager → Junior General Manager → General Manager… Your email signature gets longer and HR sends a polite “Congrats!” email.
The real script? Responsibility increases (you’re expected to manage more work). Accountability multiplies (Enhanced targets). And Authority … stays the same. Yes, the same desk, same boss, same approvals required even for buying printer paper.
What Real Promotion Should Mean ? A true promotion should give you: Decision-making power matching your accountability. Freedom to lead, not just report and Recognition not only in your pay slip, but also in your influence.
Otherwise, promotions are like Indian weddings: more show, less substance. New clothes, lots of photos, but at the end you’re still dealing with the same relatives. (Or, put differently: in family terms, your “designation” changes from daughter → wife → mother → grandmother → mother-in-law → great-grandmother. The labels change, but your authority at home? still debatable.)
If organizations want employees to truly feel promoted, they must align: Responsibility + Accountability + Authority.
Promotion isn’t about giving people bigger titles. It’s about giving them the right to decide what’s on the agenda.
Over to you – Have you ever experienced a “promotion” that changed only your title but not your authority? Or one that truly transformed your role?
I would love to hear how promotions really work in your world. Share your story…
