Thoughts Before Promoting Managers

While scrolling through LinkedIn, I saw a quote: “When you promote the wrong person, you begin to lose your best people.” After working in Healthcare for over 25 years, this is a common practice, and I have witnessed it many times. Promoting the wrong person can have far-reaching consequences, especially when losing top talent within your organization. This post will explore the detrimental effects of promoting the wrong person and strategies for avoiding such pitfalls.

The Domino Effect: You’ve just promoted someone into a managerial position, hoping they’ll excel and drive the team forward. However, as time passes, you notice a decline in team morale and productivity. What went wrong? Promoting the wrong person can set off a chain reaction of negative consequences within your organization.

Loss of Trust and Morale: One of the most significant repercussions of promoting the wrong person is the erosion of employee trust and morale. When deserving candidates are overlooked in favor of someone ill-equipped for the role, it sends a message that hard work and merit are not valued. This breeds resentment and disillusionment among team members, leading to a toxic work environment.

Loss of Top Talent: Perhaps the most damaging consequence of promoting the wrong person is the loss of top talent within your organization. Talented employees who feel undervalued or overlooked will seek opportunities elsewhere, taking their skills and expertise. Losing key team members disrupts workflow and incurs significant costs associated with recruitment, training, and onboarding replacements.

• Preventing the Pitfalls: By implementing the following strategies, organizations can mitigate the risks associated with leadership promotions.
• Invest in Leadership Development: Provide training and development opportunities to groom potential leaders and ensure they are prepared for their responsibilities.
• Consider External Candidates: Don’t limit your search to internal candidates. Sometimes, the best person for the job may come from outside your organization.
• Interim Leadership: Buy time, internal and external candidates can be evaluated to determine the best fit for your organization.
• Seek Feedback: During the promotion process, solicit feedback from team members to gauge their opinions and identify any concerns or reservations.

Promoting the wrong person can have far-reaching consequences, from decreased morale and productivity to the loss of top talent and damage to the company’s reputation. Organizations can avoid the pitfalls associated with poor leadership decisions by carefully evaluating candidates, investing in leadership development, and fostering a culture of transparency and feedback. In doing so, they can cultivate a talented and motivated workforce poised for success.

Bart Scott, RN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-scott-rn-9925b926/