Rebuilding morale after a missed promotion

A client reached out after noticing a shift in one team member’s behaviour. The employee had applied for an internal promotion but wasn’t successful—and since then, they’d become noticeably withdrawn and less cooperative, especially with the colleague who’d been promoted instead.

The new manager was feeling unsettled and unsure how to navigate the tension, and the wider team had started picking up on the awkwardness. I helped the client take a fair, structured approach—supporting both the employee and the new manager—using my Employee Relations Toolkit and practical guidance tailored to their workplace.

Step 1: Reviewing the Promotion and Development Process

We began by reviewing the

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