Listen to this article:
Abstract: This article explores effective criteria and processes for promoting the right employees into management roles. Through a review of academic literature and insights from professional experience, key competencies for management success are identified, including technical skills, strategic thinking, interpersonal abilities, coaching talent, and change leadership. A multidimensional framework for defining and assessing these competencies is proposed. Best practices for cultivating a pipeline of future leaders through challenging assignments, training, sponsorship and accountability are also discussed. Case studies of Google and GE's systematic talent evaluation methodologies demonstrate research-based concepts in action. The article argues a multifaceted, evidence-driven approach anchored in competency modeling and integrated talent development optimize the alignment of personnel with organizational needs to ensure sustained excellence through strong leadership over time.
As a management consultant and lifelong learner, one of the most frequent questions I receive from organizational leaders is how to determine which employees should be promoted into management roles. Without clear and research-based promotion criteria, companies run the risks of elevating the wrong individuals and experiencing negative downstream consequences like poor decision-making, suboptimal strategy execution, decreased employee engagement and retention, and lower financial performance.
Today we will synthesize the scholarly literature on effective promotion practices with my own professional experiences working with hundreds of organizations to develop a strong framework for identifying high-potential leaders.
Defining Success for Management Promotions
The starting point for any promotion discussion must be defining what constitutes success for the role in question. While objective measures like profits, revenues and market share are undoubtedly important outcomes, focusing solely on short-term financial metrics can potentially undermine long-term organizational health if the "wrong" people are promoted prematurely. Academic research reveals the multidimensional nature of effective leadership. For instance, in their meta-analysis of leadership styles, Ardichvili and Manderscheid (2008) identified four higher-order dimensions that characterize successful managers - strategic perspective, interpersonal skills, change leadership, and operational effectiveness.
Other studies emphasize the importance of soft skills like emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1998), relationship-building ability (Uhl-Bien, 2006), communication competence (Klein et al., 2018), and empowering management style (Srivastava et al., 2006). Thus, when defining success criteria, companies should consider both financial and non-financial indicators, with an eye towards developing well-rounded leaders capable of navigating complex challenges over the long-run. Some metrics to monitor include employee feedback, talent retention, innovation activity, customer satisfaction ratings, strategic planning execution, and management of change initiatives in addition to traditional measures.
Evaluating Core Competencies
With a multi-dimensional view of management success established, the next step is evaluating potential promotee's mastery of certain core competencies shown through research to underpin strong leadership. Below are five critical competency domains to assess candidates against:
Technical/Professional Skills
Promotion first requires demonstration of subject matter expertise in one's current role and field. While specialized knowledge may look different depending on the department or industry, a baseline level of technical competence establishes credibility with direct reports (Lombardo and Eichinger, 2002). Evaluating work products, certifications held, and feedback from technical leads can shed light on an individual's applied skills.
Strategic Thinking
Higher-level management demands the ability to think broadly about organizational priorities, market dynamics, and future opportunities/threats. Evaluate if candidates naturally consider the bigger picture context when solving problems and make connections between functional silos (Hitt et al., 2003). Ask candidates to discuss their perspectives on strategic challenges and opportunities facing the business.
Interpersonal Skills
Strong relationship-building, emotional intelligence, collaboration, communication and conflict resolution abilities are hallmarks of effective managers who motivate teams and foster cooperation among diverse stakeholders (Goleman, 1998; Klein et al., 2006). Evaluate candidates' interpersonal styles through 360-degree feedback, networking activity, and examples of navigating difficult personnel situations.
Coaching/Developing Others
The ability to identify talent, provide meaningful feedback, delegate effectively, and foster growth in direct reports will determine a manager's success in bringing out the best in their teams (McCall, 2004; McCarthy and Garavan, 2001). Evaluate candidate's people development philosophies, mentoring histories, and plans for supporting new reports' learning and career progression.
Change Leadership
Thriving in today's rapidly shifting business environment demands nimble leaders skilled at envisioning change, building support, overcoming resistance, and successfully implementing transitions (Kotter, 2007; Klein et al., 2006). Assess a candidate's flexibility, ability to sell new initiatives, handling of past change efforts, and vision for continuous organizational improvement.
A structured evaluation of candidates against well-defined competencies helps identify true strengths and growth areas to further assess fit for higher-level responsibilities. Rating tools, interviews, situational judgment exercises, and assessment centers can provide robust 360-degree data to compare multiple internal candidates in a systematic, research-backed manner.
Building a Pipeline of Future Leaders
While promoting high-potential employees is prudent for succession planning, focusing solely on internal candidates risks overlooking outside talent and fresh perspectives that innovation requires. Conducting an open search process in parallel, especially for pivotal roles, widens the pool of candidates to consider without jeopardizing insider mobility. That said, intentionally developing a steady pipeline of future leaders internally remains a strategic imperative to preserve institutional knowledge and facilitate continuous improvement through leadership development (Charan et al., 2001; Greer and Ireland, 1992). Specific tactics to cultivate high-potential talent include:
Challenging Projects and Assignments
Stretch roles that allow employees to develop new skills, manage broader scopes of work, and take on leadership responsibilities outside their comfort zones build capabilities for the next career stage (McCall, 2004). Rotating high-potentials through diverse roles on cross-functional teams or special initiatives exposes them to more areas of the business and stakeholders.
Formal Training and Development
Classroom learning, executive coaching, mentoring relationships, action learning projects, and leadership seminars supplement ongoing work experiences with frameworks, best practices, and peer networking to accelerate growth (McCauley and Wakefield, 2006; McCarthy and Garavan, 2001). Soliciting feedback and establishing clear development goals drives meaningful progress.
Sponsorship and Support
Visibility with senior leaders, advocacy efforts, high-profile assignments, and dedicated resources like flexible schedules or professional conferences establish an environment where high-potentials feel invested in and motivated to excel. Regular career discussions provide clarity around expectations and timelines for promotion (McCall, 1998).
Accountability for Results
Expecting measurable bottom-line impact or strategic contributions from stretch assignments ensures learning translates into real business value and proves readiness for increased responsibilities. Setting challenging objectives and reviewing performance fosters an achievement mindset and pattern of success among emerging leaders.
By thoughtfully cultivating high-performing talent through both structured development activities and meaningful job experiences, organizations stand the best chance of maintaining strong pipelines to fill key roles internally as opportunities arise now and in the future.
Case Examples of Effective Promotion Practices
To bring these research-backed concepts to life, consider how two leading companies systematically approach talent assessment and promotion decisions to achieve consistent long-term success:
To help select among top-performing candidates for first-time management roles, Google developed their "manager checklist" methodology which involves assessing candidates across leadership competencies and behavioral traits shown by their top internal managers (Gore, 2014). Each potential promotee receives comprehensive 360-degree feedback and undergoes two intensive panel interviews designed to probe their strategic judgement, comfort with ambiguity, and ability to develop talent. Google also cultivates high-potentials through diverse rotational assignments and ongoing leadership seminars emphasizing self-awareness and people development skills.
General Electric
GE established their distinctive “Work-Out” process for evaluating executive readiness which combines a systematic assessment of performance history against key competencies with a challenging 6-12 month trial period in the new role under close mentorship (Charan, 2008). Mid-project, candidates receive formal feedback and coaching to address any gaps, with a final “work-out report” compiling evaluations from directs, peers and senior leaders. By linking succession management with strategic priorities around developing learning agility and change capability in emerging leaders, GE reliably builds bench strength from within.
By anchoring promotion criteria in tangible research, consistently applying rigorous assessment methodologies, and actively cultivating talent pipelines, innovative organizations like Google and GE set the bar for translating effective selection practices into consistent top performance over time. Their systematic yet personalized approaches to evaluating “fit” and facilitating growth exemplify research-backed principles in action.
Conclusion
As this article illustrates, a thoughtful, multifaceted framework for assessing competencies, measuring fit, and cultivating emerging talent represents an evidence-based approach to promoting the right individuals into leadership. By defining success comprehensively instead of focusing narrowly on short-term outputs, building robust evaluation protocols tied to validated profiles of effective leaders, conducting open yet committed internal talent development, and supplementing job experience with targeted skills building, organizations optimize their chances of sustaining excellence by continuously advancing their strongest managers to higher levels of impact and responsibility over time. While promotion decisions involve imperfect judgements, grounding practices firmly in research and best practices from leading companies establishes the conditions for long-run organizational success by guiding movements of human capital toward their fullest potential.
References
Ardichvili, A., & Manderscheid, S. V. (2008). Emerging practices in leadership development: An introduction. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 10(5), 619–631. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422308321701
Charan, R., Drotter, S., & Noel, J. (2001). The leadership pipeline: How to build the leadership powered company. Jossey-Bass.
Charan, R. (2008). Home Depot's blueprint for culture change. Harvard Business Review, 86(4), 60-70. https://hbr.org/2008/04/home-depots-blueprint-for-culture-change
Goleman, D. (1998). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, 76(6), 93-102. https://hbr.org/1998/11/what-makes-a-leader
Greer, C. R., & Ireland, T. C. (1992). Attribute and skill requirements of entry-level managers for the next decade. Journal of Management Development, 11(2), 46–60. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621719210012809
Gore, T. (2014, February 25). Google's "Management Checklist." Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/02/googles-management-checklist
Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2003). Strategic management: Competitiveness and globalization (5th ed.). South-Western College Pub.
Klein, C., DeRouin, R. E., & Salas, E. (2006). Uncovering workplace interpersonal skills: A review, framework, and research agenda. International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 21, 79-126. https://doi.org/10.1002/0470013361.ch3
Kotter, J. P. (2007). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. In HBR's 10 Must Reads on Change Management (pp. 1-15). Harvard Business Review Press.
Lombardo, M. M., & Eichinger, R. W. (2002). The leadership machine: Architecture to develop leaders for any future (2nd ed.). Lominger.
McCall, M. W., Jr. (1998). High flyers: Developing the next generation of leaders. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
McCall, M. W., Jr. (2004). Leadership development through experience. Academy of Management Executive, 18(3), 127-130. https://doi.org/10.5465/AME.2004.14776183
McCarthy, A., & Garavan, T. N. (2001). 360-degree feedback process: Performance, improvement and employee career development. Journal of European Industrial Training, 25(1), 5–32. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590110380162
McCauley, C. D., & Wakefield, M. (2006). Talent management in the 21st century: Help individuals find purpose and meaning at work. Journal of Management Development, 25(7), 638–649. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710610678145
Srivastava, A., Bartol, K. M., & Locke, E. A. (2006). Empowering leadership in management teams: Effects on knowledge sharing, efficacy, and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 49(6), 1239–1251. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2006.23478718
Uhl-Bien, M. (2006). Relational leadership theory: Exploring the social processes of leadership and organizing. Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 654–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2006.10.007
Additional Reading
Westover, J. H. (2024). Optimizing Organizations: Reinvention through People, Adapted Mindsets, and the Dynamics of Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.3
Westover, J. H. (2024). Reinventing Leadership: People-Centered Strategies for Empowering Organizational Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.4
Westover, J. H. (2024). Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.5
Westover, J. H. (2024). Energizing Innovation: Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.6
Westover, J. H. (2024). Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.7
Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Workforce Evolution: Strategies for Adapting to Changing Human Capital Needs. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.8
Westover, J. H. (2024). Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.11
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Who Should Be Promoted to Management? Developing Promotion Criteria to Ensure Organizational Success. Human Capital Leadership Review, 14(2). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.14.2.4
