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From The Carrot Revolution, Chester Elton's Blog

Promotions: A Celebration

January 21, 2010

Have you ever been promoted and no one knew but you? What about any of your employees? There are milestones in our careers that need to be celebrated and being promoted is one of them. When it is done right, it not only motivates the person being promoted but the entire team. Don’t miss this opportunity to build excitement and you’ll motivate everyone involved…if you do it right.

We’ve all seen it done right and we’ve all seen it done wrong. Here are some ideas for a great experience:

The promotion shouldn’t be a surprise. The person being promoted usually knows that they are a candidate for promotion. Make sure that you are completely upfront and honest about the chances and the timing. When it is official, make sure you have ALL the details; the official title, the raise, the new benefits and anything else that come with the position. HR will help with all of the details and make sure that there are no ambiguities and that all the employees’ questions are answered. Most of all, make sure that they have accepted the promotion! Nothing worse than announcing a promotion and have it refused (not very likely!).

Once it is official, the fun starts. Gather the team and make it a celebration. Be prepared to talk about the candidate and why they are deserving of this honor. Again, be specific about why this is the right person for the job and how it is going to move the team and the company to greatness. Make it personal and tell the story. When done right everyone on the team is excited for their teammate and eager to replicate their success.

Add some fun to the promotion by adding a short break and some food. Good coffee and Danish, hot chocolate for the non-coffee drinker like me. Anything you can think of to add a little fun. It doesn’t have to take long but it adds a personal touch to a great moment.

The tip for the day: For the public meeting, it adds a lot of positive emotion if you can call the spouse, family member, or good friend to record a congratulatory message. If you can get their mother on the phone or recorded, it’s a scream! It’d be something everyone remembers for a long time!