10❤️ Effective Promotions: Matching roles to skills
Promotions matter—but getting them wrong can be costly.

As a business leader, you have a significant influence over who moves into more senior roles. The challenge is making sure those roles genuinely match the individual’s strengths and potential.

When they don’t, performance can dip, motivation can fall, and in some cases, people leave altogether.

Personal context

Over the years, I’ve seen what happens when promotions don’t quite fit.

Often, it’s done with the best intentions—rewarding strong performance or recognising effort. But stepping up into a new role requires a different set of skills, and that transition isn’t always straightforward.

This perspective comes from experience, as well as conversations with leaders and HR professionals facing the same challenge.

Problem or challenge

One of the most common issues is promoting based purely on results.

In sales especially, high performers are often the first considered for progression. But strong individual performance doesn’t automatically translate into leadership capability.

Other factors—such as mindset, behaviours, and potential—can be overlooked.

Complexities

Assessing suitability for promotion isn’t always easy.

It requires a clear understanding of what the next role actually demands, alongside an honest view of the individual’s strengths and gaps.

There’s also the risk of bias—favouring people who are visible, likeable, or similar to existing leaders.

Solution:

A useful starting point is recognising that each level in a sales organisation requires something different.

Salesperson: Typically, a salesperson is outgoing, competitive, and focused on individual achievement. They excel at building relationships with customers and closing deals.

Sales Manager: A successful sales manager is a team player who motivates and supports their team. They focus on developing their team's skills and celebrating their successes. While individual achievement is still important, a sales manager's success is largely measured by the performance of their team.

Sales Director: A sales director often possesses a strong drive for results and a focus on numbers. They may be less people-oriented and more focused on achieving sales targets. They are typically ambitious, demanding, and have high expectations for their team.

The key is to assess whether the individual is suited to how the role works, not just whether they’ve performed well in their current position.

Before making a promotion decision, it can help to:

1. Clarify the role – Be clear on what success looks like at the next level

2. Assess behaviours, not just results – Look beyond performance metrics

3. Identify gaps – Consider what support or development might be needed

4. Test readiness – Give opportunities to demonstrate capability before promoting

5. Be willing to pause – Not everyone needs to move up immediately
   
   

Benefits

Getting this right can have a significant impact:

• Higher job satisfaction – People are in roles that suit them

• Stronger performance – Individuals and teams operate more effectively

• Lower turnover – Fewer people struggle or step away from roles that don’t fit

• Better succession planning – A stronger pipeline of future leaders
  
  

Why it works

When someone’s strengths align with their role, they’re far more likely to succeed.

They feel more confident, perform more consistently, and contribute more effectively to the wider business. That alignment benefits both the individual and the organisation.

Measurement

To understand whether your approach is working, you might look at:

• Employee satisfaction and retention – Are people staying and progressing well?

• Performance in role – Are promoted individuals delivering in their new positions?

• Development progress – Are people building the skills needed for future roles?

• Leadership pipeline strength – Do you have capable people ready for the next step?
  
  

Conclusion

Promotion decisions are some of the most important you’ll make as a leader.

Taking the time to match individuals to the right roles—not just the next role—helps build stronger teams and more sustainable performance.

Because progression isn’t just about moving up—it’s about moving into the right place.