Karma Chapter 4: Why’s it that you’ve been working so hard and putting in so much effort, but still haven’t gotten a promotion or a raise?

Many people have faced this confusion: clearly working long hours (the so-called "996 schedule"—working from 9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week), leaving early and returning late, going all out to meet performance goals and rush projects, yet promotions and raises always pass them by. Some bosses are so busy they take no days off all year, fighting fiercely in market competition, only to end up with profits barely enough to keep the business afloat. Does this mean "hard work" is really useless?

In fact, it’s not that hard work is useless—it’s that many people fail to understand: "effort" in the workplace is not the same as "effective giving". Just like when Hu Xueyan switched to working at the private bank (traditional Chinese private financial institution), he was exceptionally promoted within 4 years, moving from an apprentice to a candidate for "shop manager" (equivalent to a general manager) in the boss’s eyes. The core reason wasn’t that he worked harder than others, but that he "gave" exactly what the boss wanted most—while making the boss feel complete reliability and trust.

I. First Tip: What You "Give" Must Be What the Boss Truly Needs

According to the private bank’s rules, apprentices had to work for 5 years to become regular employees. But Hu Xueyan was exceptionally promoted to "field sales representative"—a role that allowed him to handle business negotiations and acquire clients independently—after only 4 years. The reason was simple: even before taking on this role, he had quietly mapped out the local business networks and mastered key operational know-how. Once he took office, he "focused his efforts precisely," securing more and more collaborative deals. The private bank’s performance grew visibly: its scale expanded several times over, and it even opened branch stores in Hangzhou and Ningbo.

What did the boss want? Not "apprentices staying late to sweep the floor every day," nor "sales representatives working endless hours," but results that "boost the bank’s profits and drive business growth". Hu Xueyan’s hard work was exactly transformed into the "profits," "scale expansion," and "sustainable growth" the boss desired most—this is the essence of "effective giving."

By contrast, many people are busy rushing around all day without clarifying "what the boss really needs." For example:

• Some employees spend hours making visually stunning reports but fail to address actual business pain points (e.g., no solutions for declining client retention);
• Some bosses pour energy into cutting trivial costs (e.g., reducing office supplies) but never invest in exploring new profit drivers (e.g., developing new financial services).

Their "effort" is real, but what they "give" isn’t aligned with the core needs of the other party (the boss or the company)—so it’s only natural that their efforts yield little in return.

II. Second Tip: It’s Not Enough to "Give"—You Must "Give with Sincerity and Dedication"

Some might object: "Last year, I led my team to double our performance and worked the hardest, but the one who got promoted was a colleague who only barely met the targets. Is that fair?"

In fact, it is fair—because what the boss values isn’t just "short-term performance," but also "long-term reliability and alignment with the company’s values". That "colleague who barely met targets but got promoted" may not have had as impressive results as you, but he:

• Stayed steady in his work (never made critical mistakes);
• Never complained about company arrangements (even when assigned tedious tasks);
• Took the initiative to resolve team conflicts (e.g., mediating disputes between colleagues);
• Handled even small assignments from the boss with care (e.g., double-checking details in client contracts).

By contrast, you might have top-tier performance, but you:

• Constantly complained behind the scenes that the boss "lacks business insight";
• Resisted cross-departmental collaboration (e.g., refusing to share client data with the risk control team);
• Harbored resentment, thinking, "I worked so hard—why isn’t there a reward?"

The reason Hu Xueyan earned the boss’s trust enough to be considered for "shop manager" lies in the details of his "sincere dedication." When the boss proposed promoting him to shop manager, Hu Xueyan refused politely: "If I take the shop manager role, I’ll have to spend most of my time on internal management, which will distance me from clients. For the bank’s overall interests, it’s more suitable for me to stay as an ‘field sales supervisor’—I can keep maintaining client relationships and driving new business."

He didn’t fixate on the status and higher salary of "shop manager"; instead, he prioritized "whether the decision would harm the bank’s operations." This mindset of "putting the company’s interests first" made the boss trust him even more than his "ability to generate profits."

As Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, once said: "Kindness and sincerity matter more than sheer cleverness." In the workplace, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are hard metrics, but "values alignment" and "reliability" are the soft pillars of long-term trust. When a boss promotes someone, they don’t just evaluate "how much work the person can do," but more importantly:

• "Will the person handle the job with care?"
• "Can the person be trusted with important responsibilities?"

If you only focus on "calculating your own gains and losses," even if your performance is excellent, the boss won’t dare to put you in a key position. If you prioritize "doing the job well first," even if you don’t have outstanding short-term results, you will eventually be recognized.

III. You Don’t Have to Be a "Saint"—But Don’t Be a "Double Standard" Person

Some might say: "I’m not as noble as Hu Xueyan. I work just to make money and get promoted. Is that wrong?"

It’s not wrong. You don’t have to force yourself to be "selfless," but you must avoid being a "double standard" person—someone who "talks about ‘working for the company’ but only cares about their own petty interests."

Hu Xueyan also dreamed of opening his own private bank someday, but when he worked as a "field sales representative" and "sales supervisor," he never:

• Slacked off on a single business deal (even when negotiating with difficult clients);
• Betrayed the boss’s trust (e.g., never poached the bank’s clients for personal gain);
• Cut corners on work (e.g., always verified client credit information carefully).

His "self-interest" (wanting to gain experience for his future career) did not conflict with his "work responsibility"—instead, by "doing his current job solidly," he accumulated valuable connections, a good reputation, and professional experience that laid the foundation for opening his own bank later.

By contrast, many people fall into the trap of "double standards":

• They complain about "not getting promotions or raises" but spend office hours slacking off (e.g., scrolling social media) or doing work perfunctorily;
• They want "the boss to value them" but refuse additional tasks assigned by the boss (e.g., saying "that’s not my job" when asked to help train new employees);
• They claim to "care about the company" but badmouth the business to external contacts (e.g., telling clients "the bank’s services are terrible").

How can this kind of contradictory "effort" bring the desired promotions or raises?

Conclusion: Hard Work Must Be "Precise"—and More Importantly, "Sincere"

Why hasn’t your hard work earned you a promotion or raise? It’s not that hard work is worthless, but that:

1. Your "hard work" hasn’t been transformed into "value that the other party (boss/company) truly needs";
2. Your "mindset" hasn’t made the other party feel "reliability and trust".

Just like Hu Xueyan’s career advancement: his "giving" not only precisely met the boss’s needs for "profits and scale," but also won deep trust through his sincerity of "prioritizing the bank’s interests." This is the underlying logic of "hard work leading to rewards":

First, clarify "what the other party needs," then focus your hard work on that target; when doing your job, think more about "the overall interest" and less about "only your own gains and losses." When "precise effort" meets "sincere mindset," promotions, raises, and career breakthroughs will be nothing but natural outcomes.