The company is growing

The company is growing. There is an opportunity to open a new location and we need a Project Manager. Not just on site, but one to continue with brand development, awareness of the new location and managing the new team in accordance with the company standards.

The options are always two: you either promote someone from the team or look for someone from outside the company.

I always look first among the company's own staff. A few specifics to keep in mind:

1. The colleagues of the person you are promoting.

I usually expect a negative reaction. For various reasons - jealousy, bitterness: 'Why him/her?' Usually, people feel unappreciated and ignored. This reaction may be temporary, but if it isn’t managed properly, it can spread, little groups can form and the ultimate effect can be devastating. So be careful with the person you are promoting and most importantly – explain the whole plan openly to all involved. In this way everyone will know what their function is and what is expected from them.

2. The reactions of the one promoted. Often people initially lose their sense a bit, but a good workload does the trick. I just don’t leave them with enough free time for stardom. Another problem is harder to solve, namely the attempts to run everything on their own, thus turning the entire project into a one-man show. S/he needs to understand that no matter how hard s/he works, even if s/he does the job of two people, s/he will not be able to do the job of everyone, so s/he quickly needs to learn to delegate and check the task progress. And s/he also needs to do it gently, because the team can turn his/her work into a nightmare if they believe s/he is acting like the “Big Boss” now.

3. The company. There are two things the company must do to reward its best player: more money and a promotion. Now is also the time to increase the responsibilities. While s/he is in the momentum of the promotion and has felt the recognition for his/her work, you should test if you have a real gem, or this person will soon reach his/her maximum capacity.

And instead of final words: I always criticize in front of peers and superiors, but I encourage in front of everyone. Everybody needs a personal touch from time to time.