“We’re Just Not There Yet”: The Corporate Phrase That Means Never

There’s a phrase that should instantly trigger your fight-or-flight response.

You’ve heard it in one-to-ones.
You’ve heard it in performance reviews.
You’ve heard it just after you’ve gone above and beyond for the third quarter in a row.

“We’re just not there yet.”

Not there yet for the promotion.
Not there yet for the raise.
Not there yet for the recognition.

But somehow, you’re always there when they need something done urgently, quietly, or outside your job description.

This phrase is corporate anesthesia. It numbs you just enough to stop you leaving.

The Moving Finish Line

At first, the goal sounds reasonable.

“Let’s see you lead this project.”
“We want to see consistency.”
“Next cycle looks promising.”

So you do the work.
You take ownership.
You mentor others.
You fix things no one else will touch.

Then the cycle ends.

And suddenly, the goal has moved.

Now it’s about “visibility.”
Or “stakeholder alignment.”
Or some vague, unmeasurable quality like “executive presence.”

Funny how none of these were mentioned when you agreed to do the extra work.

You didn’t fail.
The system just needed you productive for a bit longer.

Performance Reviews Are Theatre

Let’s be honest: most performance reviews are not evaluations. They’re rehearsed conversations designed to justify decisions already made.

Your manager walks in knowing the outcome.
HR has signed it off.
Budgets were locked months ago.

The feedback is padded with compliments so it doesn’t sound like what it really is: a delay tactic.

“You’re doing amazing work.”
“Everyone sees your impact.”
“We just need a little more time.”

Time for what, exactly?

Because the company had plenty of time to benefit from your output.

The Unspoken Rule

Here’s the rule they don’t say out loud:

If you’re delivering senior-level output at a lower cost, promoting you is bad business.

Promoting you means higher pay.
Higher expectations from leadership.
And worst of all — they lose the illusion that hard work automatically leads to progression.

So instead, they keep you hopeful.

Hope is cheaper than a raise.

When You Finally Push Back

Eventually, you ask the direct question.

“What would it actually take to get promoted?”

And suddenly, the answer becomes abstract.

“Well… it’s not just about ticking boxes.”
“We need to see how things evolve.”
“It’s a broader conversation.”

Translation: there is no checklist, because a checklist would trap them into action.

And when you push harder?
You’re “too focused on titles.”
Or “missing the bigger picture.”
Or worse — “not a team player.”

Nothing makes a company uncomfortable like an employee who notices patterns.

The Realisation

There’s a moment — usually quiet — when it clicks.

You realise the promotion was never planned.
The timeline was never real.
The praise was never currency.

It was just enough encouragement to keep you productive, compliant, and patient.

And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Every future promise sounds hollow.
Every “next quarter” feels insulting.
Every compliment without action feels like mockery.

What You Do Next

Some people stay and go numb.
Some people leave and feel immediate relief.
Some people burn bridges on the way out.

There’s no perfect response.

But here’s the truth they won’t tell you in a town hall:

If a company truly values you, progress is clear, documented, and acted on — not dangled indefinitely.

And if “we’re just not there yet” keeps coming up?

You are exactly where they want you.
And exactly where you shouldn’t stay.