A mistake that many start-ups and SME’s make is in promoting staff simply too fast. I say it’s a mistake for start-ups and SME’s because if I were to generalise, I know other commentators would simply say “it’s a millennial thing” – this wanting to climb fast – but I disagree. It applies equally to my generation (I was once an eager, overly-enthusiastic cog in the machinery, keen to climb that ladder – and I did, fast too) as well as the generations before me. As human beings, we seek progress, and for many of us, cross-generational, that equates in part, to promotions at the workplace.
So back to start-ups and SME’s – a smaller team, more interaction, possibly more micro-managing. With a smaller team comes the fear of external professionals entering the tight-knit workplace community and overshadowing others; hence the model of promoting from within and hiring at the lowest levels, becomes an easy to practice norm. I know, for I have done just that on many occasions – not only for practical purposes of maintaining morale and balance, but also for trust reasons.
The question however is not whether we should model our promotion based on these factors, but rather, when is the right time to promote a team member internally, and how do we as entrepreneurs, handle this transition through training, support, and the process of adding responsibility?
We need to consider several factors – does the Job Title outweigh other job factors (eg; achievement, financial, camaraderie); what is our team members’ realistic learning curve; and ultimately, are we setting this person up as our protégés because we want them to be, or is it the right, medium-to-long-term decision for the business? Not every employee wants to stay long-term – some seek to get a variety of experience, and internal promotion conflicts with their ultimate goal of achieving industry-wide experience (and recognition). These are hard questions, but they are also particularly relevant questions, as our goal is always a blend of strategic business practice and team member respect. Walking that tightrope can be tough.
So, when becomes the right time to promote a team member internally? Should we make them compete against outsiders for the opportunity? Let’s work through this.
The right time is always when they are ready. As an entrepreneur, my strategy is to “turn up the screws” slowly, step-by-step, to see whether the person is ready. Let the job title follow the increase in responsibility, rather than it be a knee-jerk approach of promotion then increased responsibility. Keep it organic, slowly growing the team members skills, and letting them take autonomy in responsibility, and have a hand in their position direction. By the time you announce a promotion, the cries of “I’m not sure that I’m ready” can be met with “well, you’ve been doing it for the past three (3) months” – sometimes a great confidence booster.
I find this approach ideal for small teams – it helps build the team, the team members’ self-confidence, and the promotion (and associated increase in benefits) is a reward for proven work. It also reduces performance stress of the individual, as they don’t get bogged down in the “can I handle this?” mentality which is too often associated with promotions. The counter; during the process, they may feel that they could be taken advantage of. A legitimate concern is they could feel their workload increasing – hence, it needs to be an organic process over a few months.
If we intend to do a pure promotion and ask for applicants, including internal, we pit our team members against outsiders, and this can be disconcerting within a team. Knowing that the boss wants to consider me, but is asking outsiders to participate, by default implies that I have already been put out of the picture – for why would they seek outside involvement if I am already the right candidate? This can affect morale.
It is a challenge, and the answer, at least for smaller business units, it to take a very organic and measured approach – continue to build your team and support them with training, new opportunities, etc, along the way.
Now let’s address the issue of promotion to
Manager. The position of Manager has requisite skillsets which are not part of
lower level positions, and may not have formed part of the position experience
for staff in a smaller business. This needs specific training, plus many will
say; a predisposition towards leadership. Well, yes and no! In an SME
environment, simply because of the very nature of the business, and the
fluidity of responsibility, chances are the team member will be constantly
immersed in opportunity for leadership development. The relative autonomy that
comes through working in smaller businesses means employees tend to step up to
the plate a lot more readily than in a traditionally structured or hierarchical
organisation. This, is the training ground.
As such, entrepreneurs should feel more
confident that a certain team member seeking promotion to Manager probably has
embedded themselves in the skills, and ultimately is more able to handle the
new responsibility.
The issue is timing! Promotion needs to be
proven to have been earned. Don’t promote as a trade-off for a salary increase,
or because you feel guilty that the person isn’t getting a new job title every
six months; promote because the person is ready and they can continue to contribute
positively to the organisation with their new responsibilities.
Anyhow, for some additional thoughts on
this, take a look at the following article from Harvard Business Review (HBR) by Rebecca Knight. Whilst I
don’t see eye-to-eye on every point, the context and broad approach is part of
every entrepreneur’s journey in developing their own skills in managing teams
and people.
_________________________________________
You have an ambitious team member who’s
asking to be promoted to manager. He’s great at his job, but is he really ready
to lead? How do you judge his skills and experience? What’s the best way to
measure his potential?
What the Experts
Say
As
a manager, you’re always on the lookout for the next generation of talent in
your organisation. But trying to figure out whether a particular direct report
is management material is not always straightforward, says Anna Ranieri,
executive coach and author of the forthcoming Connecting the Dots:
Telling the Story to Advance Your Career. “It requires different skills to
manage than to be an individual contributor,” she says. “And since you want
your decision to promote to be the right one, you wonder, ‘How do I make a sure
enough bet?’” The good news is that, “people can develop their capacity to lead,”
says Linda Hill, professor at Harvard Business School and the coauthor of Being
the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader. “What you’re
looking for is behavioral evidence that this person has the potential and
talents to manage.” If you’re successful in the evaluation stage, you’ll be in
a better position to “anticipate the person’s weaknesses so you can help
onboard him into a management role when the time comes.” Here are some ways to
go about it.
Gauge Interest
A good starting point, according to Ranieri,
is to determine whether your ambitious direct report is, in fact, “interested
in,” and, “geared toward management,” and not just “going through the motions,
and thinking that she’s been at the organisation a certain number of years so it’s
time for a promotion.” The best way to find out is to ask her. “Say, ‘Do you
want to be in management? What’s your view of what that means? And what makes
you think you would be good for that kind of role?’” Of course, notes Hill, you
must “pay attention to what the person has done, not just what she says.” Ask
yourself, “Have I ever seen an instance where this candidate took on a
leader-like role, not just a star performer role?” You should also try to
figure out whether the person has “the right motivation to want to lead,” which
Hill defines as the desire to “shape the context and coach others.”
Assess Experience
Hill then recommends finding out what other
management experiences the person has had. After all, roles like
captaining a college field hockey team or editing a school literary magazine
provide valuable leadership experience. She also suggests asking, “How do you
spend your time outside of work? Perhaps this person volunteers and recently
ran a campaign for a nonprofit. That shows she likes to mobilise others and
lead.” Having the experience is key, but you’re also looking for evidence of
growth, says Ranieri. “It’s important to test the person on his people skills
and self-knowledge,” she says. The goal is to identify, “how he inspires others
to work hard and give it their best. Ask, ‘What made you believe you were
successful in that role?’”
Test Organisational Know-How
Once you have a sense of the aspiring
manager’s interest level and past experience, you need to get a handle on her
“understanding of the organisation—its culture, its needs, and where she thinks
it’s going,” says Ranieri. “If you think her opinions are inaccurate [or
disagree with her assessment], it’s appropriate to push back or at least
continue the conversation,” she says. “Maybe you will learn something.” Raneiri
suggests asking the candidate to provide examples of current managers who are
successful and—without naming names—cite ways in which other executives could
improve. Your goal is judge whether this candidate understands the role and
find out how she would run this particular team. It’s also important to
evaluate the candidate’s contextual intelligence or CQ, says Hill. “Can he see
the big picture? Can he connect the dots? Can he think systemically?” CQ,
according to Hill, is a critical component of leadership “given the complexity
of management today. Without it, you have trouble prioritising and thinking
about what your group should be working on, not just what it could be working
on.”
Seek Other Opinions
Even if the ultimate hiring decision is
yours, Ranieri suggests you discuss the prospective manager’s potential with
other colleagues and fellow team leaders. Your inquiry needn’t be stealth.
Ranieri recommends asking the candidate for references by saying something
like, “‘I would like to talk to other people who’ve seen you act in a
managerial way.’ This gives the individual time to seek out colleagues and
remind them of examples [that speak to] his management potential.” It’s
imperative, says Hill, to “solicit feedback from a range of individuals” in the
business. She recommends paying special attention to what the candidate’s close
associates have to say. “Maybe the bosses are happy, but peers tell a different
story,” she says. That’s valuable information.
Observe
It’s also important to observe your
ambitious report in action, says Ranieri. Notice whether she is “a person who
comes to staff meetings and has ideas not only about her tasks but also about
other things going on in the organisation.” In other words: does she have a
vision for the company and “is she someone who wants to have a broader reach?”
Think about your impressions of this person. Is she curious? Is she a learner?
When she faced setbacks, did she exhibit resilience? Who does she go to for
assistance? Is she a loner or does she have a network? If you don’t see
evidence of the traits you’re looking for or you remain uncertain of her
capabilities, Hill suggests providing “little experiences” that will prepare
her for a leadership role. You might, for instance, ask your report to lead an
upcoming project. Or suggest she spearhead a new initiative. “Encourage the
person to take the opportunity to practice these skills,” she says.
Heed Red Flags
When evaluating management potential, there
are certain negative characteristics to be on the lookout for, according to
Hill. Beware of those who are not open to feedback. And think twice about
candidates “who very rarely take into account other people’s points of
view.” Try to determine whether or not the person exhibits professional
courage. “If he won’t stretch himself, to me, that show he is not ambitious
enough,” she says. Also look out for those who are not generous. “A person who
doesn’t work well with other people and who thinks he’s smarter than, or better
than, others,” does not make for a good manager. “You want leaders who give
credit freely, who acknowledge the achievements of others, who don’t punish
people for their foibles, and who are willing to help.”
Have Faith
The thing is, “no one is going to score a
perfect 10,” says Hill. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re “measuring a
person’s potential” and determining whether someone is ready to be a boss isn’t
a perfect science. Ranieri points out that it’s also helpful to remember your
own experience. “Think back to when you took on your first managerial role or
your first big project,” she says. “Maybe you weren’t sure you could do it. But
someone took a leap of faith on you. Even if you weren’t 100% successful the
first time, you eventually got there.” Besides, if you do decide to promote
this ambitious colleague, she won’t be jumping without a safety net. “It’s your
job to help other people develop.”
Principles to Remember
Do
- Ask the
candidate what she thinks management entails and how she would manage a team.
- Try to
evaluate a candidate’s people skills, including empathy and self-knowledge.
- Get a
sense of the candidate’s grasp of the organisation by asking her how she views
its culture, needs, and direction.
Don’t
- Overlook
a candidate’s management experiences outside of work; leading an athletic team or a squad of volunteers provides solid leadership practice.
- Ignore
red flags. If a person isn’t curious or doesn’t work well with others,
reconsider his candidacy.
- Forget
that someone earlier in your career showed faith in you. If you believe the
candidate has the potential and talent to lead, help her develop.
Image Source:
(1)
businesswomenrising.com
(2)
emiemarketing.com
(3)
housesellingspecialists.com
(4)
naturesafariindia.com
Craig J Selby | Craig is a long-time proponent of structured and measured change. His early career saw him teaching marketing and management at a variety of Universities and PTE’s in his native New Zealand, where he quickly climbed the management ladder to head several private sector institutes. Needing to do that little bit extra, Craig formed his own consultancy firm and was engaged by many in the sector as a trouble-shooter - responsible for internal auditing, restructuring and redevelopment of many departments and institutes in order to remain competitive in a highly contested market. This involvement motivated him to branch out and work with other industries - focussing on change and development as a core theme in business survival. When Craig moved to Malaysia, he went back into the Education sector to share his ideas with local private sector educational facilities. In 2009 Craig co-founded Orchan Consulting Asia, an award-winning Public Relations agency. His areas of specialisation are Crisis Management Communications and Change Management.
Benjamin Lee Cheng Han | Benjamin is a student of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, currently exploring unchartered realms in the Public Relations field. Writing is clearly his interest – a decisive contributor to his foray into the public relations industry. To date, he boasts the proud record of having tamed one of the office cats, and drinking expired tea from the pantry.
