This article is based on a study of 25 executives of a company, who faced and overcame the trauma associated with promotions. Their initial euphoria of promotion from workers to executives died soon when the reality of work expectations and challenges struck them. Everyday experience in the workplace was a nightmare. They faced intra-personal and inter-personal challenges. Personal stress was at its high. Feelings of inadequacy, a sense of suffocation, politics from contenders for the positions, inability to think strategically and lack of style flexing troubled them no end. But ultimately they managed to get over all these problems.

Once you agree upon the price you and your family must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts, the opponent's pressure, and the temporary failure. The presentation is a success story of 25 executives of an organization who were just promoted from workers and who had to face series of ordeals to find a sense of satisfaction in their positions. It is universally known that the transition from peer to an executive is one of the most delicate and complicated organization situations you will ever experience. The article presents the causes for their frustrations after being promoted, the consequences they faced in the process of transformation and the cures with which they found fulfillment. The bath tub model of transformation depicts the scenario vividly.

"Transition can be defined as the experience of being forced to give up something and face a change" (Reece Brandt, 1997). Edith Weiner states, "People are now in a constant state of transitioning. It is difficult for anyone to say with any degree of certainty where he or she will be maritally, financially or geographically five years from now" (1994). The first and the foremost frustrating issue was to be accepted by their former peers. Just a few days ago these executives were one among them as co-workers, friends, confidants, fellow grousers and so on. As co-workers they heard a lot of secrets about their superiors and talked a lot against their superiors. There were a lot of grudges. This is a tendency.

The second challenge was that of anxiety. The fight was between `us' and `them'. Till yesterday the executives were one among the workers. One of the executives was told by a worker that, "You know the predicaments of the workers in the hands of the superiors. Now, definitely you need to support us to help set things right." On the contrary, one superior told an executive, "Look, the management has faith in you and expects a lot from you. It has plans to bring in interventions in the ongoing system.

HRM Review Magazine, Executive Transition, Frustrations, Levels of Management, Behavioral Changes, Inter-personal challenges, Organizational Change, Former Peers, Knowledge of Management Skills, Career Planning Models.