Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it.
–Katharine Whitehorn
You like the company you’re currently working for. There are great benefits, your skills are adding value, your work ethics are a good fit, and now you’ve been recognized for your contributions and are being offered a promotion.
You say “yes”, and your boss says “not so fast”. What?
If you are offered a job change internally (could be a promotion or a lateral move that suits your career plan), could your boss hold you back? What if there’s no one to fill your position and the work must be done? It does not happen often, but it does occur, and your move could be held up.
As a leader, if key members of your team are aspiring to do more, (ex. get promoted or enhance their skills by joining another team), are you prepared to replace them?
It’s a good idea to have serious chats not just related to development planning, but also about career desires and succession planning.
As a leader, start by assessing:
- What are the critical skills that each team member possesses? Are any unique to that person
- Who could fill those positions when movement occurs?
- Is cross training an option?
- Would delegating differing roles test out and strengthen the pool of candidates?
Before a team member does indeed move on, engage your high performers and your colleagues and obtain their thoughts about possible internal candidates.
- Who could be a good fit for your team?
- Do they have an attitude and mindset that aligns with that of the team?
- Can they relate well with others?
- Do they listen and are they collaborative?
- Will they put the needs of the team before their own needs?
- How will the work culture be improved?
If one of your key team members is given a career opportunity, are you prepared for them to accept that new job?
Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.
—Chris Grosser