Helping Men Deal With Rejection in the Work Place

Pride is a great thing, and while both genders place a certain amount of emphasis on pride for men it may be more significant. What affects pride the most is rejection. Unfortunately this is something that is becoming more common in the workplace. A lot of what is perceived as rejection is often a matter of the circumstances that we are currently living in, and is not personal. Yet, for some working men it is nothing else but personal.

Forms of Rejection

Rejection in the workplace can come in many different forms.

·       It may be that you applied for a promotion and there was every indication that you were perfect for the position. You had the experience and the skills, yet it was awarded to someone else.

·       Perhaps there is a strong social group within the company setting but you never seem to be included.

·       You are not being kept in the loop when your position in the company indicates that you should be.

These are just a few of the many types of rejections that commonly take place in the workplace, yet they can have a devastating effect on those who are subjected to them. All because these rejections are taken personally.

Getting Over It

The first thing you need to determine is why were you rejected. Using the examples presented there could be several reasons for this.

Not Getting the Promotion

It may very well be that you were qualified, but perhaps management doesn't feel that the particular position would have been the best fit for you. It could be that you are more valuable to the Company where you currently are. Don't be afraid to research the reasons why you were rejected for the position. If it does have something to do with your personally in a negative way then you have identified the problem, and instead of stewing over it you can now work on it to better yourself.

Not Being Accepted Socially

Now may be the time for you to step back and examine your own actions. It could be that you have been expecting the social group to make the first advances to you. Yet, you have not shown any interest in them. You can approach this in a positive manner simply by asking general questions about their activities and showing some interest. It just might be that once you have shown some interest the group will be more receptive to you now knowing that you care about them.

Not Being Kept in the Loop

Instead of looking at this negatively it may be that management feels that you are performing well enough in your duties that there is no need to distract you from these with what they have to offer. Communication with management is going to be the key here. You could simply imply that what they have to offer could be an additional benefit to your performance. The problem here could simply be lack of knowledge and recognition.

No matter what form of rejection you are experiencing, instead of accepting this in a negative fashion take a positive approach to determining the cause. At the very least you will feel that you have been pro-active in the situation and this will really help you to move past the rejection. Just as you have to be pro-active in your physical well being the same applies to your mental and emotional health.