The setting: You have an excellent employee in your organization (for-profit or non-profit). They not only do their work well, but they demonstrate loyalty to the organization and an understanding of its mission. You have an opening and decide to give them a promotion into a supervisory position.
It turns into a disaster.
This scenario is not uncommon. An excellent employee receives a promotion and then everything seems to go to hell. “Going to hell,” by the way, can take many forms. There might be a mutiny among his/her staff; the work may not get done; you, as the direct report, may be ignored.
In our experiences the challenge of promotion revolves around understanding what it means to elevate someone from their current job to an entirely different position. Moving someone, specifically, to a supervisory position is not necessarily a reward for doing a good job in one’s current position. It may come across as punishment.
What, then, are some of the considerations that should go into a promotion?
Is the employee a big-picture person who can think about the multiple tasks of the people under their authority?
Is the person a team-builder or are they a lone operator?
Is the person a good listener or do they feel this to be a burden?
Is the person prepared to put aside the work that they have been doing in the interest of running a team?
Does the person know how to offer constructive criticism?
Does the person play ‘favorites’ or are they fair?
Some of these areas can be learned in the process of becoming a supervisor. Others should be demonstrated by the work that the individual has conducted. For instance, is the person a team builder? Unless the person has operated entirely on their own, there should be some track-record of how they have worked with others. Have they, for instance, assisted other staff? Have they gone to bat for others? Also, are they a good listener and, especially, can they take criticism without taking it personally?
We have seen countless examples where good employees lacked the basic skills regarding supervision, thereby undermining their ability to succeed. Here are a few recommendations:
Go over the sorts of questions posed above and discuss with other senior managers in your organization. Don’t let your enthusiasm for a particular employee blind you to the concerns of others.
Identify what sorts of training and/or orientation the individual might need in order to succeed. Consider interviewing the employee and asking just that question.
Give them a probationary period after which they can return to their former position should this not work out. Couple that with an evaluation.
Ensure that they develop a workplan that conforms to the overall plan of your organization. Carefully review the workplan and ensure that the new supervisor follows this.
Taking this approach may unnerve many senior managers. It should not. Keep in mind that an excellent employee should be rewarded but rewarding is not necessarily exercised via a promotion. There may, literally, be an award; a bonus; or being given a special assignment. Regarding a special assignment, it may be the case that an exceptional employee may be offered either a one-time or on-going assignment (e.g., special assistant) whereby their talents can be tapped but where they need not supervise.
A final thought. If the promotion does not work, do not close your eyes and hope that it improves on its own. One of the best ways to lose good staff is to put them in situations where they have bad supervisors. If you get the sense that it is not working out, it is time for you to intervene and consider options. To do otherwise may not only cost you good line-staff but may also cost you your own credibility.