Ready to Promote an Employee Read This First

Ready to Promote an Employee Read This First Ready to Promote an Employee Read This First Of course, I understand that training programs are hard to get off the ground for many startups and small businesses. Thats why Id like to offer the following tips on helping employees move on up â€" not out â€" at your company: 1. Formalize Your Management Training The promoted employee was hired for a specific position â€" in other words, they probably werent hired to be a manager. Still, the employee probably took on more responsibilities over time at your company before becoming a full-fledged manager. In many cases, this type of gradual transition leaves no room for formal management training.  Seventy percent employee learning happens on the job, which isnt necessarily a good thing: The promoted employee may pick up management practices that dont align with your expectations. Fix This: Dont wait for management mistakes to happen before you address them. Instead, be proactive. Write up a quick outline of your goals and expectations for the promoted employee. Be sure to include information like the scope of their authority, how they fit into the company structure now, and what you expect them to do when major challenges arise. All organizations are different, and regardless of how yours is structured, your new managers will appreciate clear guidance as they acclimate to their  new roles. 2. Encourage Delegation, Not Dumping When promoted employees transition  into leadership roles, that means a lot of the work they used to do will have to be delegated to others. Make sure new managers understand that delegating doesnt mean they can just dump their responsibilities onto someone elses shoulders. Rather, your new managers need to approach delegation in the same way that you approaching their promotion: You are helping them adjust to their new roles, and they should be helping employees adjust to their newly assigned tasks as well. Continuous, social, peer-to-peer learning is  incredibly important if you want your organization to run smoothly. Fix This: Let newly promoted employees know that their previous roles are  still their responsibility until the ship is manned. This may seem like common sense, but promoted employees may forget it in the rush of excitement that comes with climbing the ranks. Make sure new managers are regularly checking in with  and assisting the employees who have taken on their former duties. 3. Assess the Promoted Employees Progress Pay attention to  how the employee is handling their new role. Have they taken the initiative to send you goals for their departments? Have they sought out management resources or tips? The latter may be hard to assess if its not coming up in conversation, but, eventually, youll be able to tell whether or not your new manager is  taking steps to develop their skills. If departments arent improving, productivity isnt increasing, and employee morale isnt getting better by the day, then youll want to scrutinize the situation more deeply  to see if any real changes are being made. Fix This: While its best not to come off as overbearing, you want to make sure the right person has been promoted. Youll be able to tell if your decision was a good one within the first few months. Be sure to watch out for the extremely excited employee who kicks it into high gear right at the start, only to burn out later on down the line. Remind your employees to maintain a steady pace, and keep your door open for any conversations your new managers may want to have. Have more tips for training new managers? Share them in the comments please!