Tell a High-Potential the Truth Without Promising
Discuss aspiration, readiness, and next evidence with a high-potential employee without making a false promise.
Sam S Senior Manager 01 Aspirations 02 Readiness 03 Commit Sam wants to know whether he is really being considered for bigger roles or just being politely encouraged to wait. A readiness conversation should be specific, developmental, and promise-free. The mechanism is readiness language. You can explain what the role requires, what evidence is already strong, what is still missing, and what experience would sharpen the next review. Use the framework explicitly so the conversation does not drift into opinion or politics. Sam says, “I want to be considered for director roles, but no one has ever told me where…
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