Key words

When discussions in the boardroom turn to the question of whom to promote, four considerations usually come into play:
• One. Can they do it? (1) _________ What support or development do they need?
• Two. Do they have or will they be able to create the network they’ll need to succeed in the new role?
• Three. What is the flight risk if we go for another solution? Do we even have another solution?
• Four. What will happen with the role they leave? (2) _________
If you are on the list of candidates for potential promotion, you should think carefully about each of these considerations. The importance of the first and the second considerations about performance, potential and people (3) _________ And we will find space in a future column to talk about the third consideration — your leverage.
For now, let’s think about the fourth consideration: who should do your job when you move on? Surprisingly often, (4) _________
Or maybe not so surprisingly. Usually, we do not pay much attention to the question of who can do our job other than ourselves. First of all, we already have a job to do. Why worry about who else can do it? This is a perfectly valid approach as long as you are bent on staying in the job. It becomes a problem, however, if and when you do want to move on. Secondly, helping others become able to do what you do means investing time in a venture whose outcome is highly uncertain. It is not clear whether they will learn what you have to teach. And if they do, who is to say they will not take these skills and move themselves ahead of you?
If you carry any such thoughts around with you, I strongly recommend some critical self-examination. Instead of holding on to people by keeping them small, why not become a talent factory and watch how quickly good people will start wanting to work with you?
They won’t stay forever, and you won’t want them to. Apart from dramatically increasing team results, the flow of talents will give you a shifting but always clear answer to the fourth consideration. And this will no longer be a reason not to promote you.