The Unspoken Truth of Vacant Roles in Your Organization
What’s lurking beneath the surface when a key role remains unfilled for months—or even years? It’s not just about finding the perfect candidate. In this post, we explore the hidden forces at play and why some organizations might let critical roles stay vacant. Using tools like The Five Whys, we’ll examine the deeper implications of these vacancies and how they affect your team. Ready to uncover what’s beneath the surface?
“I’ll have one promotion with a side of recognition, please.”
LaShonda had been an Assistant Director for three years. She liked her job and had a decent salary, but she felt stuck. Every year, her review period came and went without any mention of promotion. She was frustrated and started to wonder if she needed to look elsewhere.
LaShonda had been doing the right things—reading company content, collaborating at meetings, attending training sessions—but she was still waiting for a breakthrough. The problem? She was waiting for someone else to guide her.
“Ouch!”
“Ouch!” Jodi yelped. Once again she’d bumped into the corner of the old metal filing cabinet. It poked her right at the same spot on her leg—every time. “UGH!” she exclaimed. This filing cabinet! Why doesn’t someone just move it?! It is clearly in the way of the path that everyone has to walk through.” She rubbed the spot on her leg knowing that the bruise that was finally healing from her last run-in with it was going to come back with a vengeance. Wincing, she thought, “Jon needs to do something about this”. She hobbled down the hall and knocked on Jon’s open office door.