The Promotion Test That Has Nothing to Do With a Résumé

Prompted by “Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil Says Employees Who Get Promoted Share 3 Traits. None Requires a Degree”, Inc. (Dan Schawbel).

Philipp Navratil joined Nestlé as an auditor in 2001 and now runs the whole company. Asked who earns promotions under him, he names three traits: curiosity, hunger, and humility.

Curiosity means never stopping learning, seeking out mentors, and saying yes to new assignments that sit a little outside your comfort zone. Hunger means wanting to win and make things better.

On humility he's blunt: “I like humble people,” and he sees arrogance as a recipe for failure.

Who are you really promoting?

For small and medium-sized businesses, promotions are usually decided by instinct and tenure. The best salesperson becomes the sales manager, or the person who's been there longest gets the next title. There's no HR committee to push back.

What makes Navratil's test useful is that none of the three traits needs a credential. You can watch for each one in everyday behavior: who asks for a stretch assignment, who wants to win, and how someone treats the people around them.

Whether you're a CEO or an owner-operator, you're often the only judge, and the easiest person to promote is the one who works like you or makes your life easier.

Test it out: write down the names of your three most likely next promotions. Next to each name, jot one specific thing you saw in the last 90 days that shows curiosity, hunger, or humility, like asking for a stretch assignment, pushing to win, or giving credit away. If you can't name a specific behavior for someone, that's what you're really promoting on: tenure or comfort.

Deciding who is ready for the next role is the kind of thing we work through in 1:1 Coaching.

Looking for a place to discuss issues like this with other local business leaders? Join one of our no-cost Rochester CEO insight sessions and test your ideas with your peers.

Originally posted on LinkedIn ↗