Someone asked me a question about my post about helping everyone…..what if you have a duck who thinks it can be an eagle? What’s the best way to hand that situation without demotivating them?
What I’ve found:
- Pretty much everyone thinks they’re an eagle. It’s our culture to reinforce that “You can do anything, be anything you want to be!” What I find useful is focusing on the skills and behaviors needed to be an eagle, not whether or not they are one.
- Often this comes up relative to promotion….you can’t be an eagle unless you have the title, right? So I try to have a conversation about what it takes to be a VP, ED, Managing director instead of whether or not the person is ready to be one. (BTW, I have rarely met someone who didn’t believe they were ready!)
- Usually, I’ll talk about the skills and behavior expected, and if they are weak in one in particular, I usually highlight that as an area of development. Let’s say the individual has a tendency to be known for inappropriate remarks. I might point out that part of being a Managing Director is understanding that everyone pays attention to what you say, it gets repeated, and if you can’t control your communication, you’ll lose credibility. Another example is if the person isn’t consistent in a particular area. I’d point out that at the more senior level, no one is checking their work and if there are errors, it falls on them. Are they ready to fly without the net?
The most important point I make to people is that they will get promoted when they are ready. Every manager wants top talent. The challenge is that we know the decisions and situations that particular level is expected to deal with…and if we don’t think you’re ready, you’re probably not. It’s much easier to promote someone than to tell them no. If someone is telling you no, take the time to understand why.