Who should do your job?

to promote sb.jmdn. befördernWhen discussions in the boardroomSitzungszimmer des Aufsichtsrats, hier Chefetageboardroom turn to the question of whom to promote, four considerations usually come into play:

One. Can they do it? Do we see potential in them? 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 rolehier: Positionrole? 

Three. What is the flight riskFluchtgefahr; hier: Fluktuations-, Abwanderungsrisikoflight risk if we to go for sth.sich für etw. entscheidengo for another solution? Do we even have another solution? 

Four. What will happen with the role they leave? Is there anyone ready to take over? 

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 should be pretty obvious. And we will find space in a future column to talk about the third consideration — your leverageHebelwirkung; hier: Druckmittelleverage.

For now, let’s think about the fourth consideration: who should do your job when you move on? Surprisingly often, this to trip sb. upjmdn. aufs Glatteis führentrips people up.

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 validberechtigt, stichhaltigvalid approachVorgehensweiseapproach as long as you are to be bent on sth.gewillt sein, etw. zu tunbent 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 ventureUnterfangen; hier: Projektventure whose outcomeErgebnisoutcome 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 to keep sb. smallhier: jmdn. nur mit untergeordneten Tätigkeiten betrauenkeeping them small, why not become a talent factoryTalentschmiedetalent 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 talentsTalentstrom/-ströme (Neuzugänge und Abwanderungen in Schlüsselpositionen)flow of talents will give you a shiftingwechselndshifting but always clear answer to the fourth consideration. And this will no longer be a reason not to promote you.