Scenario:Mary applies for, and wins, a promotion that her mentor and best friend Jane expected to get .
Jane feels hurt, discouraged, and betrayed. Mary must schedule her first 1:1 meeting with Jane as her superior.
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Mary applies for, and wins, a promotion that her mentor and best friend Jane expected to get .
Jane feels hurt, discouraged, and betrayed. Mary must schedule her first 1:1 meeting with Jane as her superior.
Mary Johnson
She is a dedicated employee at a large corporation. She is resilient, hardworking, and compassionate. After facing challenges and layoffs within her department, she secures a promotion that her mentor and best friend expected to get. Mary feels both happy and guilty about the opportunity, as she knows how much it means to Jane, who she values as a mentor and friend.
Jane Thompson
She is a senior executive and mentor to Mary. She is ambitious, proud, and sensitive. Expected to secure the promotion Mary gets, she feels betrayed and hurt after being passed over for the role. Despite her emotions, she attempts to maintain professionalism and schedules a meeting with Mary to discuss the transition and support her transition into the new role.
Sue
She is the HR representative responsible for announcing Mary’s promotion. She is formal, efficient, and impartial. Sue informs both Mary and Jane about the promotion and provides them with details about the role, expectations, and benefits. Her interactions with both women aim to support a smooth transition and ensure that any questions or concerns are addressed.
I was supposed to meet Sue from HR in a few minutes to discuss something important, though I had no idea what.
I checked my watch for the fifth time since I walked into the building.
Only five more minutes.
I wasn’t nervous; I was always calm in any situation.
But I did wonder what this meeting could be about.
It wasn’t a performance review; those were scheduled months in advance.
It wasn’t a layoff; we had already been through that and survived.
Well, most of us had.
My department had been decimated, and several of my coworkers had been let go.
It was a difficult time for all of us, but we were resilient and had come out stronger on the other side.
I thought about my coworkers who had lost their jobs and smiled sadly to myself.
They were good people and deserved better than to be let go.
Hopefully they had all found new jobs by now.
The elevator doors opened, and I stood up, walking slowly through the crowded hallway.
I passed by several people I knew and exchanged greetings with them before turning into a quieter hallway that led to the conference rooms.
I reached the one listed on my schedule and took a deep breath before walking in.
"Hello Mary," Sue said with a warm smile.
"It’s nice to see you."
"Hello Sue," I replied, shaking her hand.
"Thank you for having me in today."
"It’s our pleasure," Sue said as she gestured for me to take a seat.
I sat down across from her, my hands folded neatly in my lap to hide the way they were trembling.
The conference room was smaller than I remembered, the beige walls closing in on me as Sue shuffled through the stack of papers she had brought with her.
She pulled out a manila folder with my name on it and placed it deliberately between us on the polished wooden table.
The fluorescent lights overhead hummed softly, casting an artificial glow over the room.
Sue opened the folder, revealing what looked like a contract.
My throat tightened as I saw the word "promotion" at the top of the page.
I thought immediately of Jane, who had been eyeing this position for months.
Sue slid the papers toward me, her manicured fingernails tapping twice on the signature line.
I picked up the pen, ready to embrace the unexpected.
I hesitate, the pen hovering over the contract.
Sue’s demeanor changes suddenly, her eyes darting toward the conference room door as if she expects someone to burst in at any moment.
She leans forward, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"There’s something else you should see before you sign."
She slides another document across the table, and I pick it up, scanning the contents.
It’s an organizational chart, detailing the new structure of our department.
My stomach drops as I see my name at the top of the chart, with three team leads reporting directly to me.
One of those names is Jane’s.
I look up at Sue, confusion etched on my face.
"I thought this was a lateral move," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
Sue nods apologetically.
"It was supposed to be. But with all the layoffs we’ve had recently, we had to make some adjustments. HR typically tries to avoid putting friends in direct reporting relationships, but in this case, we didn’t have much of a choice."
I swallow hard, trying to process the implications.
"So Jane would report to me?" I ask, my voice tinged with disbelief.
Sue nods again, her expression softening. "Yes, and I know it’s not ideal, but we believe you’re the best person to lead this team through the changes."
