| While all your employees may not crave a | | | | employee enhance skills that will be useful during |
| promotion, some will. For those employees, | | | | job interviews (career related opportunity). |
| upward mobility is the key motivator. They are | | | | 4. You want your employee to train other |
| willing to cooperate and contribute, but they want | | | | employees. This assignment will enhance her or |
| to advance in their careers. Unfortunately, | | | | his credibility as a Subject Matter Expert (career |
| promotions do not always happen fast enough for | | | | related opportunity). |
| some employees. | | | | 5. You want your employee to participate in a |
| There are two “good news” points to this | | | | charity event for the organization. One of the |
| situation. First, career advancement does not | | | | major event activities will involve interviewing key |
| have to be only about getting promoted. Rather, | | | | leaders in the organization (career related |
| it can be about activities, projects, or assignments | | | | opportunity). |
| that contribute to opportunities for promotion. | | | | This approach is about explaining to employees |
| Second, employees know that promotions are | | | | how their performance or participation can lead to |
| not always possible. So they are willing to | | | | greater visibility, more recognition, or additional |
| consider opportunities that contribute to | | | | career related skills. And while you are not |
| advancement. Employees want to feel that they | | | | saying to the employee, “This assignment or |
| are working on their careers, even if they are not | | | | activity will lead to a promotion.” You are |
| receiving a promotion. | | | | saying, “This assignment or activity will offer |
| To make the link between career advancement | | | | you a valuable career related experience.” |
| and job performance, do two things. One, look | | | | Believe it or not, employees will appreciate the |
| for career related opportunities in every | | | | fact that you are focusing on their career |
| assignment. Two, explain “how” every | | | | interests. Too many times managers remain |
| assignment offers a career related opportunity | | | | silent when promotions are not possible. In those |
| and a chance for employees to work on their | | | | instances, employees become frustrated and stop |
| careers. Consider theses examples: | | | | doing their best work. The most talented |
| 1. You want your employee to participate in a | | | | employees leave for greener pastures. |
| task force. This task force will be led by an | | | | By using this approach, you at least let employees |
| influential department manager (career related | | | | know that you care about their careers. You |
| opportunity). | | | | also move the focus away from “getting a |
| 2. You want your employee to make a | | | | promotion” as the only solution to career |
| presentation at a conference. There will be | | | | advancement. Instead, you help employees see |
| several high profile managers at this conference | | | | that they can still have some valuable career |
| (career related opportunity). | | | | related experiences. This way, they are working |
| 3. You want your employee to take a class on | | | | on their careers and working toward a promotion. |
| Effective Presentations. This class will help the | | | | Try it and see what happens. |