Employee gets promoted over more qualified but "difficult" coworker: 'I know he thinks I'm an empty suit [...] and he's completely right'

This businessman learned the unfortunate truth that not all good things necessarily come to those who wait. 

In the corporate workplace, it turns out that good things come to those who flatter upper management. This employee may not have been the most qualified candidate for the promotion he received, but he certainly knew how to become well-liked by those with the power to give him what he wanted. 

Obviously, we all would want to believe that our workplace environments are meritocracies and that those who are the best at their respective jobs will be the ones to ascend the corporate ladder. However, unless you're a total company man, you probably know that this is not the case. Unless you have a truly perceptive leader with a strong sense of who knows what they're doing and who's just good at performing like they're qualified, the best way to get promoted is to prioritize optics above all else.

That means laughing at every one of your boss's painfully unfunny jokes. It means using all sorts of empty corporate jargon to make it seem like you know what you're talking about. It means making your manager feel like they're great at what they do at all times. This employee understood this all too well, but when he got the promotion he had been hoping to get, he suddenly felt a sense of deep guilt. That's because his coworker, Derek, was the person who really should have gotten it, and they both knew it. 

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  • The problem with Derek was that although he was incredibly competent at his job, he was a difficult person to collaborate with. He frequently pointed out his boss's errors and made it known when he felt that certain meetings were taking too long. It turns out that it didn't matter how great he was at his job. It wasn't enough for upper management to reward him simply because of his behavior and demeanor in the office. 

    Sure, everyone knew the team would fall apart without Derek, so although he was difficult, no one was going to outright fire him. However, upper management should be careful because their decision just might backfire. Sure, there's a world in which Derek reacts to the news by softening his rougher edges, but there's also a world in which he ends up leaving the company over this. And then… the team really will fall apart!

  • Two male colleagues arm wrestle while others watch.
    via Vitaly Gariev

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • "I keep getting promoted over my genius coworker because I’m a 'yes man' and I feel like a fraud."

    I just got bumped up to a Senior Manager role this morning. My salary is going up by a good amount.
    via Branch32
  • I should be happy, but honestly I feel like I am robbing the company blind. There is a guy on my team, let's call him Dave.
    via Branch32
  • Dave is brilliant. He knows our systems inside and out. If the servers crash at 2 AM, Dave fixes it.
    via Branch32
  • If a client asks a technical question that nobody understands, Dave has the answer. He is objectively better at the actual job than I am.
    via Branch32
  • I actually have to Google basic stuff half the time or ask ChatGPT to write my SQL queries.
    via Branch32
  • But Dave is "difficult." He corrects the VP in meetings when she uses the wrong terminology.
    via Branch32
  • He sighs loudly when people ask stupid questions. He refuses to turn his camera on during Zoom calls because he thinks it's pointless.
    via Branch32
  • He has "boundaries." Me? I have zero backbone. I am a total corporate actor. When the boss suggests a timeline that I know is impossible, Dave says That's impossible.
    via Branch32
  • I might say "That's ambitious, let's see how we can align our resources to make a push for it." When a client sends a nasty email, Dave argues with them.
    via Branch32
  • A group of businesspeople sit around a table.
    via Vitaly Gariev

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I apologize and thank them for the feedback even though they are wrong I spend 80% of my week just smoothing things over and managing "vibes." I reply to emails within five minutes even if I don't have the answer, just to say "I'm on it!" I laugh at the Director's terrible jokes.
    via Branch32
  • I bring in donuts. Now I'm Dave's boss. He looked so defeated when the announcement went out.
    via Branch32
  • He's been here three years longer than me. I know he thinks I'm an empty suit who just plays the game, and he is completely right.
    via Branch32
  • I feel guilty because I know the company needs Dave more than they need me, but they treat him like a necessary evil and treat me like a rockstar just because I'm pleasant to be around.
    via Branch32
  • I feel like one day everyone is going to wake up and realize I don't actually know what I'm doing, but until then I guess I'll just keep smiling and "circling back."
    via Branch32
  • Two male colleagues arm wrestle while others watch.
    via Vitaly Gariev

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • optifree1 Dave might be better than you at the job he's currently in, but based on what you described, he sounds like he'd be an absolutely horrible manager whereas you sound like you would be a good one. It sounds like to me your company got it right. In other words, imagine you're writing a job spec for your senior manager role. Would you hire Dave for it?
    via Branch32
  • LightningMcScallion Extend the good vibes to Dave. Have his back. Give him a raise if you have the power
    via Branch32
  • psikitico Not everyone is good at dealing with people, not everyone is good at dealing with tech stuff. Dave is a good technician but bad at dealing with people, you deal/manage better with people interactions, and without clients no company survives... Dave may be more important in the day to day company operations, but you're important to maintain client relationship and facilitate communication in the office
    via Branch32
  • Nietvani If you're Dave's boss now, then you're responsible for treating him better and not letting him get steamrolled. I bet a raise would help that feeling of defeat he has.
    via Branch32
  • ReflectionOk892 Getting promoted isn't just about being better at the job. It's also about having good communication skills, conflict resolution skills, established and maintaining good rapport with clients, etc. Dave might be the technical support expert but he lacks skills in many other areas. This might be a great opportunity to help him improve where he's lacking with your leadership.
    via Branch32
  • Mighty_Buzzard I remember a boss of mine once telling me that he wasn't the smartest guy in the world but he was good at getting smart people organised to do what needed to be done. Maybe this is what the management sees in OP. OP can get Dave to sort out the tough stuff.
    via Branch32
  • Katharinemaddison Doesn't sound like he'd be the best manager right now- So you be one. Not just in terms of how you are with higher ups and clients. Be a good manager for your worker. Be honest with him that we won't get promoted if he acts like that. But also maybe find a bit of middle ground between how he is and how you are. You'll need to set reasonable expectations for one thing. And you need to have your staff's backs.
    via Branch32

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