Teri,

Thank you for this excellent post. I also feel Gina should focus on her new role as manager. As a manager, I believe that Gina should help Ralph with the company changes. As a manager, this is one of her duties to help her employees. Ralph may be the most difficult, since he was also up for the promotion. I think that it is also a good idea to let Ralph know that he was also a good candidate for the position, even though he may not agree with the decision of the company, he should support it. Speaking with Ralph may even help his morale. Organizations make changes for the better, and there is generally some sort of guideline or reason behind it. Ralph may not know and/or understand the meaning behind everything, but in the long run, it may be to his advantage to cooperate and prove that he is a team player.

Teri and Class: Have you ever been in this situation? Were you the onepromoted, or the one passed over?