10 Top Reasons Why Newly Promoted Employees Fail

Many Are Not Prepared For Higher-Level Jobs

Portland, OR - October 19, 2009 - Newly promoted employees could be in danger of losing their higher-level positions and even their jobs, particularly if they were promoted to replace others who were laid off during cutbacks, according to OI Partners-Pathways (Portland), a global career transition and coaching firm.

About half of newly promoted employees could lose their recently acquired promotions due to their inability to properly manage and motivate others and achieve critical goals and objectives. Many newly promoted workers have not received adequate preparation to succeed in their new roles.

Their failures could end up hurting their employers' bottom lines and costing companies lost business in an already tough economy due to declines in morale, productivity, and customer relations, according to Jean Erickson Walker, Managing Partner of OI Partners-Pathways (Portland). http://www.oipartners.net/

"Many companies have promoted employees after making layoffs without giving them the coaching and training they need. Some newly promoted employees have been unable to make the transition from being individual performers to managers. Others have been promoted to the next level without getting an opportunity to improve their management, motivational, team-building, and communications skills," said Walker.

"In a good economy, about 4 out of 10 employees who are promoted usually don't work out. But workers who were advanced to replace higher-salaried, laid-off colleagues are at a greater risk for failing in their new positions without receiving adequate preparation," said Walker.

"Many employers are trying to conduct business as usual using their second-team players without providing them with sufficient coaching and training to perform their jobs well. The consequences could result in lower morale, decreased productivity, and bad customer relations," Walker added.

THE TOP 10 REASONS why newly promoted employees fail in their jobs - and can wind up hurting their companies' bottom lines, are:

#1: Do not know how to progress from being individual performers to managing others. They have not acquired the leadership skills they needed to succeed.

#2: Unsure of exactly what their bosses expect them to accomplish. They are unclear about the two or three most important goals they need to attain.

#3: Do not achieve desired results within an acceptable time frame. They don't fulfill objectives within a deadline that can be as short as just three to six months, or don't even realize what the deadline is.

#4: Lack adequate skills to manage others. They may be first-time managers, or have never had their leadership capabilities assessed.

#5: Unable to motivate others and keep them fully engaged in their jobs. They don't reach out to people and find out what will keep them interested in doing their jobs.

#6: Poor ability to relate interpersonally with others. They may have such toxic management behaviors as being too critical, abrasive, unpredictable, self-centered, arrogant, close-minded, or volatile.

#7: Bad verbal and written communications skills. Being able to communicate well both verbally and in written communications is an important foundation of good management.

#8: Not able to build good relationships with direct reports, colleagues, and other departments. They don't enlist the support of subordinates and peers to build commitment to their strategies.

#9: Failure to recognize contributions. Managers need to acknowledge the achievements of others and share their successes.

#10: Do not determine and use the communications methods preferred by their bosses. They don't find out whether their bosses prefer e-mails, weekly reports, lots of facts and figures, or just informal face-to-face meetings.