The best technician was promoted. Nobody replaced the technician.

Promotion is often the only currency a smaller firm has. It buys a manager at the price of the highest-output worker, and frequently not even that.

By Steve 5 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for The best technician was promoted. Nobody replaced the technician.

A firm of twenty people needs someone to run the workshop, the studio, the ward, the desk. The obvious candidate is the person everyone already asks: fastest, most accurate, the one who gets the difficult job. They are promoted in April. By September the throughput numbers are worse, the team says nothing has changed, and the new manager is working later than they ever did before. Nothing unusual has happened. The firm made a trade it never priced: it converted its most productive individual contributor into an untested manager, and…

Keep reading for free

Create an account to read the rest.

The whole library is free. No card, no subscription, no trial that quietly ends. An account simply lets us know who we are writing for, and opens every article from here on.

  • Every article, in full, at no cost
  • New articles published every weekday
  • Takes about twenty seconds
Create a free account I already have one

Free means free. We will not charge you for the library, and you can read as much of it as you like.

Important: General information only. Rialto Bridge articles describe patterns and considerations that may apply to a business; they are not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice, and they take no account of your particular circumstances. Consider your own situation and seek advice from a qualified professional before acting.

More on Leadership

Scroll to Top