SINGAPORE: A man took to social media to share that he thinks his former coursemate-turned-colleague didn’t deserve to be promoted because “he had lower grades than him.”
“You can tell from his grades that he probably don’t know what he’s doing and is not a hardworker. I think the only reason he was promoted was because he is close with his teammates, especially his ex-boss who left the company,” the man wrote on NUSWhispers on Wednesday (Feb 14).
For context, the man shared that he joined the company three years ago after graduation, and he was surprised to see that his former coursemate was also hired for the same position, albeit at a different department.
“The last time I chatted with him in year 4, he couldn’t have graduated above second-class upper. (I knew that because he was really proud of the fact that every mod he took averages around B/B+ while he boast about how he only study the day before midterms.) i was never close to him because I am someone who works hard for my future and my FCH,” the man explained.
He also stated that during his performance review at the start of the year, his boss told him that the work he was doing was “above expectations,” but that he had been sabotaged by peer reviews.
This caught him off guard because, according to him, he did half of his team’s work and had to eat at his desk while working, whereas his teammates never stayed after 6.
His former coursemate, on the other hand, “never appeared to be doing important work,” and he mainly sees him joking around with his teammates. And so when he found out that he was getting promoted to lead the team, he almost quit right away.
“It seems to me at this point that this company obvious doesn’t care about talents or hard work, and they only value those who angkat people’s bola. I wanted to leave, but it feels like a huge sunk cost for all the weekends I burned for this company. The job market is absolutely horrible right now. Signz.. maybe I should just learning how to be a snake too,” the man wrote, frustrated at not being able to do anything.
“Grade no longer matters once you enter the workplace.”
The commenters on his post chastised him for directly inferring academic and work performance, stating that grades are irrelevant in real life. Many also advised him to set aside his ego and focus on his people skills.
One individual didn’t hesitate to say, “Your coursemate has better EQ than you. Probably he is a more positive person, less bitter. Hence everyone likes him. It’s easy to get promoted if you’re well-liked by everyone. Grade no longer matters once you enter the workplace.”
Another individual also offered him wise advice, saying, “Educational cert is just a paper qualification. It only proves the graduate is book smart. When in the working world, it is other skills that counts. A person with lower grade may outperform (in some situations) those with higher grades. And performance is what counts. Do not compare grades. Be objective, be humble, be compassionate, be realistic, be contented, and you will be happIER. Continue to work on yourself to be 1% than your yesterday you.”
One individual also provided a likely explanation as to why his former coursemate got promoted ahead of him, commenting, “His people skill gets things moving. It boosts team morale and motivates ppl, makes ppl look forward to going to work. Indirectly he is edifying team performance and staff retention rate.”
Why does EQ matter? And how does one improve it?
While IQ continues to be a significant predictor of success, especially in terms of academic performance, other experts contend that emotional intelligence, or EQ, plays a more significant role in obtaining success in the workplace.
In one study entitled “Emotional intelligence and organizational effectiveness,” researchers found that people with high leadership potential are also more emotionally intelligent, indicating that having a high EQ is a key attribute for business leaders.
Emotional intelligence allows a person to recognize, respond to, comprehend, and control their own emotions as well as those of others. Also, this allows him or her to lead, support, and motivate others in their tasks.
But how can you improve EQ?
Be self-aware. Self-awareness is essential for developing emotional intelligence. Spend time observing your emotions and thinking about what triggered them.
Develop empathy. Think about placing yourself in the other person’s position. Try to keep in mind how other individuals could feel under different circumstances.
Be open-minded. It is critical to approach situations with an open mind and without bias. This will allow you to understand others and consider new perspectives and ideas.
Practice mindfulness. Concentrate on the present moment instead of worrying about the past or future. Practicing mindfulness can help you become more conscious of your feelings.
Read related: Man in a company for 5 years says he has not been promoted even once
Featured image by Depositphotos