Dealing with an employee’s baggage and negative perceptions when it comes to promotions
Dealing with an employee’s baggage and negative perceptions when it comes to promotions
An employee’s history can cloud people’s ability to judge that person objectively. So, the first step you should take as a manager when a situation like this arises is to put the employee’s history aside and focus on answering the following questions:
It’s all about testing the waters; your goal is to get honest feedback on that employee from your peers and decision-makers. If the team decides this person meets the criteria and has done everything asked of them to earn a promotion, then you’ve got to look past their history.
However, sometimes these negative perceptions can have a solid foundation. What do you do when you have somebody who does meet the eligibility criteria yet they’re still dealing with baggage that could be placed appropriately on them?
In this case, you need to be honest with both your employee and the decision-makers. The employee needs an opportunity to prove they are the right fit for the role, and as a manager, you need to provide your employees with the means to demonstrate their professional growth.
So, even if the employee doesn’t get that promotion right away, you’re letting decision-makers know that this person is willing to put in the effort to demonstrate they have matured personally and professionally.
You might need to discuss specific action items for your employee to work on to place themselves in the right light to be promoted. Ultimately, the expectation to set with someone who does not have a pristine past is that it’s simply going to take some time and that you are there for them every step of the way.
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Regards,
Rob