Make smarter promotion decisions and set new supervisors up for success
Your supervisor position is open, and you’re facing the classic small company dilemma: promote someone who knows your operation but lacks leadership experience, or hire an experienced supervisor who doesn’t know your business.
This decision keeps small company owners awake at night. Internal promotion maintains culture and operational knowledge but risks putting unprepared people in leadership roles. External hiring brings experience but disrupts team dynamics and requires extensive onboarding.
There’s no perfect choice, but there is a way to make the decision strategically rather than just hoping for the best.
This Is One of the Hardest Decisions Small Company Owners Face
We’ve helped hundreds of small companies work through this exact decision. Both options have risks, and both options have been successful when handled properly.
The key isn’t choosing the “right” option – it’s understanding when each option makes sense and how to set either choice up for success.
Internal vs External Promotion Reality:
65% success rate for internal promotions with proper training
40% success rate for internal promotions without training support
55% success rate for external hires in small company cultures
18-month average adjustment period for external supervisor hires
Why This Decision Is So Difficult
The External Problem:
Critical Both Options Feel Risky Internal promotion might fail due to lack of leadership experienceDependencies on Key People – External hiring might fail due to cultural misfit or team resistance.
The Internal Problem:
You’re Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t – You feel like you’re gambling with your operation either way. The wrong choice could set back team performance, create conflict, and waste months of time.
The Philosophical Problem:
People Deserve the Right Support for Success – Whether you promote internally or hire externally, that person deserves the support and development necessary to succeed rather than a trial-and-error approach.
Making the Right Choice and Supporting It Properly
Step 1: Assess Your Specific Situation Objectively
Clear criteria for when internal promotion makes sense versus when external hiring is necessary. Not every situation is the same.
Step 2: Prepare Internal Candidates Before They Need Promotion
If you want internal promotion to succeed, development needs to happen before the promotion, not after.
Step 3: Integrate External Hires Into Your Culture Systematically
External supervisors need more than just operational training – they need cultural integration and team relationship development.
Helping me be a better leader
I definitely see a lot better what motivates each of the individual members of my team. What each responds to. And so my communication style changes from one to the next. And it’s just helping me be a better leader.
What Good Promotion Decisions Create
Your supervisor selection process becomes one where:
- Decisions are based on clear criteria rather than just gut feeling
- Internal promotions succeed because people are properly prepared
- External hires integrate successfully because they understand your culture
- Teams accept new supervisors because the transition is handled professionally
- You have confidence in your choice because it’s based on systematic assessment
Make Supervisor Selection Strategic, Not Stressful
$995 provides the framework for making promotion decisions and supporting supervisor success.