So you’ve promoted your top performer to a management role, what now?

I’ve worked in L&D for over a decade and time and time again, top performers are promoted into management roles.

Now, this is good, I wholeheartedly support promoting internally, they understand the challenges, the team, the business and let’s be honest, all managers were new managers at some point so why not them and why not now.

HOWEVER, what I also see happening is that they are promoted with zero training and little support with the assumption that they will be good at it.

Then there is surprise when they don’t immediately perform - who would have thought it?!

Let’s focus in on the issue here. You have someone, who has until now, been excellent at their job. They are a top performer, they are an expert, they are the go-to person, they are confident, they are knowledgeable and they are skilled.

And they really are all of those things… in their current job. 

A job which involves absolutely no management at all.

I would also like to point out that nobody becomes a top performer overnight and that it’s very likely that they have invested significant time in becoming the expert in their role.

Being a manager, is a new role for them and it requires a different skill set. 

Yes, there are transferable skills.

Yes, they absolutely do have the potential to become a great manager.

Just as long as you give them the right support, training and direction to set them up for success.

Before we jump into solutions, I want to talk about why this promotion is so common. My experience has shown me that this tends to happen as a reward/retention strategy. You have a top performer, they are ambitious, you’re impressed with what they have achieved, and you want to reward them. You’re also concerned that if you don’t do something they might leave.

So, you make them a manager.

And voila – problem solved.

And it could be - I’ve seen it work really well but I've also seen how critical those first 3 months can be.

If you’ve got this far, I’m guessing you’d like to know what I suggest you do to set them up for success. I’ve cut my very long list down to just 5 things that my experience tells me make a real difference.

1. Be honest

Start with an honest conversation, acknowledge that you know they are great at their old job and you know they will bring those skills to their new job however you are also aware that being a manager is new to them and tell them they have your support. Explain that it’s ok if things don’t go right or if they find it hard and emphasise the importance of learning.

2. Plan 1:1s

I’d suggest meeting every 1-2 weeks during the first 3 months, this recognises the new elements of their role and demonstrates a commitment to providing support and helping them to develop) Use your more regular 1:1s with them to discuss how they are getting on. Questions I’d suggest asking a selection of the below:

• What challenges are you facing?

• What has gone well?

• What has not gone so well?

• What would you do different?

• What have you learnt this week?

• How are you going to prioritise learning in the week ahead?

• What do you need from me?

• How are you progressing against your objectives?

3. Agree clear objectives

Yes, you probably already know this. But I want to talk about why. During the first few months we want to build confidence. Remember that these are new skills that they need to develop and refine. They aren’t going to be great at it overnight (and they are used to being great at their job). So giving them clear expectations is a way for them to know what they are meant to be doing and can also be used to show them the progress they have made which will build their confidence. It’s also great for spotting when things aren’t quite on track so you can jump in with extra support/direction if needed.

4. Create a development plan

   Key topics they will need to upskill on include:

   • Delegation – top performers may think it’s easier to just do it themselves, but that’s unhealthy and won’t do them or your business any good. They need to learn how to delegate effectively.

   • Transitioning from peer to manager – this can be tricky, they need to acknowledge the change and establish new boundaries immediately.

   • Performance conversations – now they are responsible for the performance of others not just themselves. Regular conversations to agree expectations, give feedback, check wellbeing and build relationships are critical.

   • Difficult conversations – you don’t want managers who avoid difficult conversations however it is a skill and we all know how easy it is to pretend it’ll get better on its own (and how rarely that actually happens).

Now don’t get me wrong, there is a lot more to learn, but that is where I would start (with zero knowledge of the specific skills and experiences your person brings).

Now on the learning front, we aren’t talking about days and days of learning, encourage them to make it a habit, perhaps 15 minutes a day for focused learning, whether that be podcasts, YouTube or reading and encourage them to follow that immediately with 5 minutes of reflection.

5. Celebrate success

My final point is to remember to celebrate successes – they are used to be really good at what they do and it’s going to take a while for them to feel really good at being a manager. Your job is to guide them, support them and show them how far they have come and that they can and will be great at their job again.

You’re creating a manager for life, think about all the people this person has the potential to impact, in their current role and in future roles.

You play a critical role in this and you have a decision to make:

You can be the manager who teaches them what NOT to do (we’ve all had one).

OR

You can be the manager that teaches them exactly what to do.

Both will stay with them forever and form part of the stories they tell in years to come (trust me – I hear them all the time!).

If you're reading this because you're promoting someone into a management role and want support with that transition, this is exactly what my New Manager Accelerator Programme is designed to help with. The 1:1 programme is tailored to your business goals and covers all of the above (and more). If you’re reading this and thinking “oh no – that’s where I went wrong” and want to fix it, I also offer a Manager Reset Programme.

Drop me a message to schedule a free 30-minute call and we’ll discuss your needs and how I can help.

Not relevant for you right now? I’d be really grateful for any likes, shares or comments