Have you been over-promoted?

The term ‘over-promotion’ isn’t something we’re used to hearing but I think it’s safe to say that most of us have met somebody who’s been over-promoted. Someone who makes us think, how did you get this job!? Most blogs surrounding the subject of promotion stick to the promise that you can do anything and be anywhere if you put your mind to it. Now I’m no pessimist and I’m not saying that isn’t true, but after 30 years working in recruitment with people from all walks of life, I’ve learnt a thing or two about the dangers of over-promoting yourself and over-promoting staff.

Yesterday someone asked me what the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in business is and this really got me thinking. I always say that every mistake you make is a stepping stone towards the right direction because without learning from these mistakes, how are you supposed to succeed? After much reflection, my answer to this question boiled down to over-promotion.

I invest in people, that’s my thing. During my time in the Den, I invested in some very random businesses and everybody always asked me why. The truth is, I’m a sucker for a really passionate, driven entrepreneur. I was always interested in hearing the story behind the product and understanding why the would-be entrepreneur thought they would succeed because that’s half the battle. If you really believe you can do something, you’ve done your research, there is a need in the market (and your idea isn’t completely ridiculous) chances are you can make it happen.

It was because of this and my love of taking on a challenge, that I once invested in a sandwich shop called Benjy’s. If I could turn back time I would tell my young self, James think about this – you know nothing about the food industry, you have no contacts or experience, you haven’t done your research – take your time! When I bought the business, it had huge debts and although at first I thought I could tackle them, I ended up losing a lot of money and sold again within six months. I was really disappointed because I realised I could have avoided the mistake if I’d remembered my principles – putting money into things you don’t understand is never a good idea.

Whenever I’ve made mistakes it’s because I’ve not understood enough to make a considered decision. I didn’t take into consideration the implications and risks attached to my new role. Because I was already considered successful, I just assumed I could take this on too. In essence – I over-promoted myself too early.

Over-promotion is something I come across all too often and I’d say it’s one of the biggest, reoccurring mistakes people make.

We’ve all heard the saying “with great power comes great responsibility” and this is especially true when it comes to futureproofing your career.

It’s natural that the more successful you become, the more work you end up taking on. But before you commit to making it happen, learn from my mistake and think about the repercussions.

Firstly, avoid being a yes man and never agree if you can’t deliver. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a member of staff, it’s easy to get carried away with the excitement of promotion and underestimate the responsibility that comes with it. I see so many people saying yes to everything, taking on too much work then realising they can’t work to agreed deliverables. In the end, they end up disappointing clients, colleagues, managers and worse, themselves.

As a manager, you need to think about promoting your staff very carefully. Of course you want your team to develop and you want to illustrate your appreciation for the value they add to the business but you need to be sure they’re ready for the transition.

For example, say your top sales guy approaches you for a promotion, he wants to be a manager but in your heart of hearts, you know he’s not ready to run his own team. What do you do? If you promote him anyway, he will struggle to perform and you will be in a position you don’t want to be in. You couldn’t demote him but at the same time, you can’t just carry on as if everything’s okay. In the end you both lose.

You should’ve been strong enough to tell him what he didn’t want to hear in the first place. Or you need to be prepared to support them through the training involved to succeed. The moral of the story is, always make those tough decisions in the beginning. Don’t let them fester and develop into bigger issues because the repercussions will be much worse.

Over-promotion is a slippery slope. Just because I was successful in recruitment, that didn’t mean I could run a sandwich shop. Just because you have a great sales consultant, doesn’t mean they can manage a team and just because you’re on a roll, doesn’t mean you can take on the world! Don’t trip yourself up. Failure is part of the journey, but that doesn’t mean you have to actively seek it.

This article is published in collaboration with LinkedIn. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: James Caan CBE is a serial entrepreneur.