How To Tell An Employee They Are Not Ready for a Promotion
And get specific about what they can do to change that
I know plenty of people who think they’re ready to be promoted. The only problem? Their bosses disagree. I know this, not because their bosses told them so, but because their bosses haven’t promoted them yet.
Actions speak louder than words, right?
Some leaders avoid the topic altogether, while others make promises that remain unfulfilled month after month as their employees stay in their stagnant seats with an ever-growing chip on their shoulders.
The employee can’t figure out why he isn’t being promoted, while his manager can’t figure out why in the world the employee thinks he’s ready for what’s next in the first place. Perhaps you can relate.
You might not like what I’m about to say, but I’m going to challenge you to self-reflect.
In most cases, this kind of disconnect between an employee and their leader is a leadership shortcoming.
And, I get it — most of us tend to shy away from conversations where we might make someone feel bad or inadequate. Instead, we’d rather avoid the conversation entirely or give the person feedback that’s just vague enough to be able to say we did it without hurting…
