Table of Contents

The Demand

Before you promote anyone this week, you confirm they have actually built the verb of the next rung — not just excelled at the verb of the rung they are leaving. If you promote on excellence at the current rung alone, you get a lead or trainer in title only, with no verb behind it, and the cast will read the gap immediately.

The Work

  • Before your next promotion, name the verb of the new rung explicitly: trains, or leads. Confirm it is different from the verb of their current rung.
  • Check whether the candidate has actually practiced that verb — has a cast member who is about to become a trainer ever trained anyone under supervision. Has a trainer who is about to become a lead ever led.
  • If they have not practiced the new verb, build a supervised rep into this week before the title changes. Do not hand them the title first and hope the verb catches up.
  • Audit your current leads and trainers. Identify anyone holding a title without the verb — a lead who never trained, a trainer who never went through Train-the-Trainer.
  • Close that gap this week with a specific development assignment, not a general expectation to grow into it.

This week, you confirm the verb exists before the title does for your next promotion, and you close one existing title-without-verb gap on your current roster.