How promotion turns into punishment

When capable employees become managers overnight, everyone pays the price. A story you'll probably recognise.

It happened AGAIN.

And I know it happens every week, in every town.

Someone who was a regular part of a volunteering group left about 10 weeks ago after securing a full-time job. Great news!

All was going well for the first couple of months. So well, in fact, that he got promoted to team leader.

He suddenly found himself in charge of a gaggle of workers, many of whom didn't really want to be there. He was responsible for tools and equipment, despite only just getting to grips with the job himself.

Naturally, he had ZERO training or support for this promotion.

He didn't know how to set expectations, communicate tasks, monitor progress, coach people or challenge difficult behaviour. He couldn't even do what he was good at because his time and energy were diverted into dealing with all this people stuff.

There's not a week goes by when someone on LinkedIn doesn't post about this disgraceful practice.

It's been happening for decades.

We know it's a problem.

We know it costs businesses money.

In fact, my friend is on the verge of quitting. What was a good job is now a horrible job.

Why take good people and set them up to fail?

It's the very definition of madness.

And it's why I created two low-cost training packages to help: The New Manager Programme and The Performance Management Programme.

There's no excuse for leaving people to struggle.