Rising Tide
Check on the other boats
Leaders who invest in growing their people will be more successful than managers who only invest in growing their own careers.
Build a “deep bench” of competent people who can step up behind you as you get promoted. Your advancement can be the first domino that tips, leading everyone to career advancement. Train your replacement, so that you are not held back from promotion because there is no one else who can do your current job. Grow the competency of everyone in the office, so that things don’t grind to a halt when an indispensable person goes on vacation (or, even worse, gets poached by a competitor). Ask senior staff to coach and mentor younger staff on technical processes, but also encourage experience in client-facing roles—have junior staff “shadow” established professionals in client meetings to see how it’s done and to build relationships.
In good times (promotion!) or bad (a family emergency calls you out of the office for several days), things run smoother when people have been pre-trained for their new roles and responsibilities.
(Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash)
