Prioritizing time-in-company is not a problem\u2014retaining skills and knowledge clearly benefits the company overall. But when such talent is left drifting without any leadership training, or simply have no interest in actually managing anything, problems arise.<\/p>\n
Even with the best will in the world, a brilliant engineer with 15 years\u2019 experience can\u2019t simply manifest skills like empathy, conflict resolution, schedule management, and budgeting. As a consequence, when such people are promoted, the outcomes can be catastrophic.<\/p>\n
So, why do many companies give promotions this way\u2014and what do they expect to happen?<\/p>\n
![\"leadership](\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/gr-stocks-Iq9SaJezkOE-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Why do companies reward tenure over talent?<\/h2>\n
Careers are built on climbing ladders. But for technical workers specifically, there are only so many rungs they can climb:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Apprentice<\/li>\n
- Graduate<\/li>\n
- Engineer<\/li>\n
- Senior engineer<\/li>\n
- Lead or principal engineer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Eventually, if a worker wants increased responsibility or salary, the next rung has to be management. Say your principal engineer has been in the same role for 10 years. They\u2019re doing great work and want a promotion\u2014more responsibilities, more impact, more salary.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nBut they recognize they\u2019re not manager-material. It\u2019s not their thing. In most cases, you just have nothing to offer them. There isn’t an unlimited budget for good workers and ultimately, they\u2019ll need to take a job elsewhere if it\u2019s available.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nAnd there\u2019s what usually happens: They take the management role anyway. Which can be the best-case scenario\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nSuccessful appointments are a boon for any company<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/div>\nAssuming a current employee is a good fit for a management promotion, there are massive benefits to the company versus hiring externally.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nFor a start, it\u2019s empowering for all employees. Knowing there are long-term career opportunities increases engagement, productivity, and the sense of camaraderie that underpins most successful teams.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nOn a more pragmatic level, long-serving employees have a deep knowledge and appreciation of the company\u2019s culture<\/a>, processes, and clients. Losing that experience can have a profound impact. Sometimes companies prioritize keeping that person over promoting them, necessarily, to a suitable role. And it may well be the best choice for broader company success.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nFor example, if you work in finance and one person has been there for 25 years and is the only person with critical information and answers, you can\u2019t afford to let them go. If retaining them means promoting them to management, that\u2019s what needs to happen\u2014as long as the appointment comes with adequate training.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nBut the threat of the Peter Principle remains<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/div>\nPromoting ill-suited technical experts to management roles is a classic example of the Peter Principle<\/a>. It states:<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n“In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.”<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nIn other words, workers get continually promoted until they reach a role for which they are actually unqualified. And once they reach that position, they will stop being promoted because they\u2019re no longer offering anything of value.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nIt\u2019s a sad, but relentlessly accurate, principle.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nUnqualified managers kill teams<\/h2>\n
A tiny percentage of people take effortlessly to management. They move into the role and their personality is naturally well-tuned to management.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nBut for everyone else, management is a hard and complex skill that requires training to reach basic competence. Being a manager certainly goes beyond simply enforcing deadlines, setting goals<\/a>, and delegating tasks.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nIt involves creating an environment where team members can perform at their best and grow both personally and professionally. A good manager coaches, motivates, and inspires their team, provides constructive feedback, helps to resolve conflicts, and supports team members in their career development. Not to mention more technical aspects like budgeting, managing schedules or recruitment.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n![\"leadership](\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/siora-photography-hgFY1mZY-Y0-unsplash-1024x673.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhat business expects this to work without training?<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nThe real risks of badly-prepared managers<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/div>\nWhen individuals are promoted to management positions without proper preparation and support, negative traits can dominate despite good intentions. For example:<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n- \n
- Micromanagement<\/strong>\u2014A horrible managerial trait, micromanagement almost always comes from a place of insecure good intentions. Terrified that work won\u2019t be completed to standard, new managers will minutely follow and dictate to their team, often neglecting their own work in the process. This can cause rifts and stress within the team. Sure, there are ways to work with micromanagers<\/a>. but it’s not great for anyone.<\/li>\n
- Lack of delegation<\/strong>\u2014For the same reason as above, managers might take all the responsibility themselves. An insane decision that never works out, this usually makes other employees feel under-appreciated, untrusted, and unwanted. Even if the manager completes the work, they are depriving team members of any chance to contribute or grow in their role.<\/li>\n
- Bias<\/strong>\u2014Internal promotions mean managers with friends beneath them. Without proper training, this can lead to favoritism and an unfair distribution of tasks, benefits, or other treatment.<\/li>\n
- No team development<\/strong>\u2014Since untrained managers tend to prioritize task completion, there is less time dedicated to long-term progression, skills training, feedback, or mentoring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How to effectively train new managers<\/h2>\n
Leading a team requires skills like communication, emotional intelligence<\/a>, conflict resolution, and the ability to motivate and inspire others. These aren\u2019t typically required for technical roles and so most employees aren\u2019t strong in these areas.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nHowever, they can absolutely be taught. So the first thing companies must do is invest in quality leadership training. Options include:<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n- \n
- Mentoring and coaching<\/li>\n
- In-house training<\/li>\n
- Online learning platforms<\/li>\n
- Job rotations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Successful training doesn\u2019t just improve the manager\u2019s performance. It has a significant cascade effect on their team members. Low morale, decreased productivity, and staff turnover are all symptoms of poor management. Not to mention that promoting someone to a brand-new role without training will be immensely stressful for that employee.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nThe key is to help the new manager understand their role and responsibilities, then guide them in the right general direction. Once they have their priorities sorted, and are committed to them, they can progress to learning on the job.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nA managerial alternative for large, forward-looking companies<\/h2>\n
When we talk about management in the general sense, as we have in this article, it\u2019s fundamentally about person management. But certain organizations (for example, large engineering firms) can create separate managerial pathways: person manager and technical manager.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nThe technical role would extend beyond individual contribution to the oversight of all technical contributions for a team. This could involve setting tasks or assignments, fielding questions, mentorship or other areas. However, responsibility for team member support and growth would fall to the person manager.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nFor brands looking for a \u2018best of both worlds\u2019 answer, this could be it. It allows them to keep valuable company knowledge and skills in-house, without negatively affecting team morale or performance, while giving the strong technical contributor a long-term growth opportunity<\/a>.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nIf promotion isn\u2019t right, hard decisions must be made<\/h2>\n
There are two types of employee that get promoted from technical to management roles:<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n- \n
- Those who want to become managers and leaders<\/li>\n
- Those who want to stay at the company\u2026but aren\u2019t truly interested in leadership<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
All businesses should treasure that first cohort. Invest in their training and support. Give them a mentor or accountability buddy. Help them to leverage their vast company experience into their new role.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nBut the second group? Some workers simply outgrow their role. If they are pushing hard for a promotion, and the only option is management, you might have to make the hard decision of saying no\u2014it\u2019s better for the company overall to hire externally or select a better in-house candidate.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nNo matter who you decide to promote to a management role, your biggest priority is ensuring they are both comfortable and competent in that role. From there, teams will thrive and the business will have sound foundations.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nTo ensure you’re promoting the right people, you can begin with assessments to identify their skill gaps and see their aptitude. 360 assessments<\/a> can shine a spotlight on hidden strengths and blindspots, showing you the skillsets of different employees.<\/p>\n
- Lack of delegation<\/strong>\u2014For the same reason as above, managers might take all the responsibility themselves. An insane decision that never works out, this usually makes other employees feel under-appreciated, untrusted, and unwanted. Even if the manager completes the work, they are depriving team members of any chance to contribute or grow in their role.<\/li>\n
- Micromanagement<\/strong>\u2014A horrible managerial trait, micromanagement almost always comes from a place of insecure good intentions. Terrified that work won\u2019t be completed to standard, new managers will minutely follow and dictate to their team, often neglecting their own work in the process. This can cause rifts and stress within the team. Sure, there are ways to work with micromanagers<\/a>. but it’s not great for anyone.<\/li>\n