Being promoted to a management level for the first time is a huge deal. This means that the organization or the manpower firm is making the investment by training and promoting from within is supporting their employee. The manager who is doing the promoting has a chance to award their team member for their hard work. For the person receiving the promotion, this is probably a goal they’ve been working towards for a long time and this is an opportunity for them to go ahead in their career. As a manager, lots of preparation goes into grooming someone to receive a promotion into management level for the first time.
Here Mr. Atul Mahajan, Director, Trendsetters Facilities & Technical Services (TFTS) which is Delhi’s Top manpower outsourcing company shares things need to consider before promoting an employee to a manager.
Mentor First Then Promote
Past experiences show that first-time managers will fail within their first year. Not only is this stressful for a new manager, but it costs the organization and manpower firm money. Before promoting anyone into a managerial level, give them an opportunity to learn with the support of a more experienced or a seasoned team member. Mentoring someone to see what it’s really like to manage will help build confidence.
Being Able To Do The Job Before Promoting
When it comes to promoting, the general advice is to make certain the team member can do a job before getting a promotion. There is a fine logic here because there is always the risk that the person doing a job may feel grudge for doing something they’re not being paid or recognized to do, however, if you openly convey the plan and provide realistic guidance, the team member will understand. Be sure to follow up with the promise by promoting the person in a timely and fair manner.
Give Leadership Training
Invest in your employee and provide them with professional leadership training. Send them to 3rd party training programs that will give them an outside perspective and will also allow them to connect with leaders outside their company. Encourage attending leadership training programs to help with career growth.
Set A 90-Day Plan
The initial 90-days of anyone’s employment in a new position is critical. Think of it as a probationary period where you are able to help guide the person to success by setting expectations and also see if they’re suitable for the position. Sit down with the new manager before their promotion and set the first 90-days as if they’re a new employee. This will help to make sure that everyone’s on the same page and that the new person is availing the support they need to succeed.
Allow Mistakes To Happen
New managers are bound to make mistakes and the reality is that this is the best period for them to learn. Stay out of the way by allowing them to make mistakes. Only intervene if the mistake is an absolute critical like it would be too expensive or will surely result in an outcome that is intolerable. While intervening, let the new manager know the reason and educate them along the way so they have a chance to learn and avoid these kinds of decisions going forward.
