If an employee asks for a promotion to management, how do you know if they’re ready? Here are three questions to ask.

1. What’s your motivation? Are they looking for more control? Greater visibility? A salary increase? These are legitimate wants, but a managerial role might not necessarily deliver. For instance, managers might end up with less control over their workload and schedule. And longer hours might eat up any salary increase. A potential manager should be motivated to take on the fundamental role of leader—to guide, enable, and support the performance, development, and wellbeing of the team. If the person doesn’t have this deep desire to lead, the emotional demands of managerial work may outweigh the benefits. 
   
   
   
   For people who aren’t ready for management, there may be other ways to meet their needs in their current role. Maybe they can take on more decision-making authority or scheduling flexibility, for example.
   
    
2. What are you looking forward to doing most when you become manager? Many aspiring managers get a deer-in-the-headlights look when asked this question. Many people don’t know because they’re just looking up the corporate ladder for their next move. If that’s the case, help ambitious employees pause and think through the activities of the manager job—the interactions they’ll have, the challenges they’ll face, and the skills they will have to develop. You can share your experiences, but also encourage them to talk with other managers in the organization. 
   
   
   
   The best way to see if employees are management material is to allow them to test-drive the experience. For instance, if they’re looking forward to helping a team grow, give them the responsibility of coaching or onboarding new employees. Many wannabe-bosses find from this test run that management is not what they expected. 
   
    
3. Are you ready to start getting work done through others rather than doing it yourself? Aspiring managers need to see that their success now lies in guiding and enabling their team’s accomplishments. This evolution can be challenging for those who excel as individual contributors. The switch from personal achievements to fostering collective success can be unnerving. These manager-hopefuls must be ready to let go of their tasks and embrace a broader view of their impact. Help these employees understand that if they’re not ready to let others do the work, they may want to look for ways to make their current job more fulfilling instead of stepping into management.

These questions will open your employees’ eyes to the reality of management—and will give you a good idea of whether you should champion this next career step for them. 

For more advice, read “Want to Be a Manager? Ask These 3 Questions to Be Sure.”