The problem with being promoted

Bring promoted is a great feeling. A promotion is a pat on the back for all your hard work and recognition of your expertise. Even better, it usually comes with a pay rise! But there is also a problem with being promoted, something that is rarely acknowledged or addressed: being good at our last job rarely prepares us for doing our new job. In fact, a promotion can result in a nosedive in performance, quickly turning elation into deflation.

When we see a person who isn’t flourishing in their new role, we may dismiss them as simply not good enough, or ‘over-promoted’. If we were the one who promoted them, we might question whether we misjudged their ability or think they haven’t ‘got what it takes’ after all. We might be angry, frustrated or disappointed, embarrassed even.

The harsh reality is that, without the right support, all the amazing leadership potential we once saw in that person simply withers.

Identifying the problem

The root cause of the problem with being promoted is a damaging assumption, which sets the promoted person up to fail, usually through no fault of their own.

Leaders assume that when they promote someone for being great at their job, they will share their expertise with others in their new role and everyone will flourish. Sadly, this is very rarely the case! Yet it’s a phenomenon seen in every walk of life and every sector, from sales and healthcare to football.

While the problem with being promoted is significant and widespread, it can also be disguised as something else or hidden from view. As with any problem, the first step to solving it is recognising that it exists:

• Do you look in the mirror and see a person who is highly stressed, feels out of their depth and suffers from imposter syndrome?
• Is there someone on your team who used to be a fantastic operator but, since they moved into management, they’ve been unable to delegate, are prone to micromanagement and appear to be struggling to cope?

These are all classic signs of a person who has been ill-prepared for the role they’ve been given, and they need help. Remember: it is not their fault, and the problem is fixable.

Fixing the problem

The good news is that there is plenty of assistance available in these situations. In fact, a significant proportion of our time is spent working with leaders and managers in exactly this position.

It may be that they have recognised in themselves a need for help and have reached out for our mentoring or coaching support, or that their boss has sensed that they’d benefit from one of our leadership development programmes in order to flourish.

In every instance, we spend considerable time analysing the issues and getting to know the people we work with as individuals, so we can tailor our approach to their specific needs. Ultimately, everything we do is about unlocking leadership potential.

Preventing the problem

Of course, once it’s recognise that there is a problem with being promoted, it’s also possible to prevent it from happening in the first place. When leaders put in place the right support for their teams at every level, they can ensure that everyone in their organisation is able to unlock their potential too.

By putting in place the building blocks of leadership and management skills in future high-flyers BEFORE they’re promoted, they’re automatically set up for success rather than failure. And observing their leaders modelling great leadership behaviours, they can see the path to greatness for themselves.

If you need our help with fixing or preventing the problem with promotion, please get in touch.

After all, iTS Leadership!