The best technician may not be the best people person. Keep that in mind when it comes time for considering promoting someone. When somebody moves up to the CFO level and, perhaps, even one level down at the controller level, additional skills come into play. Even though the person has done a great job for you so far what got him or her there may not be what’s going to carry him or her through the next roll.

Consider some of the things that can be different as they move up to the top role in the finance area.

1. Developing staff. They have to recruit, motivate, develop and work with staff.

2. Mixing with peers. At another level, there’s more coordination with peers in the company. Particularly in finance, you have to work to be proactive at this.

3. Connecting with outsiders. There can be a whole new group of people to connect with in the outside world, customers, suppliers, service firms and others.

They may have very different skills than what the person might have been using on the job so far. Before you make the move to promote somebody, take a close look at how their people skills have been and will they be good enough in that top role in finance. If not, there’s no shame in still being at the staff level and continuing to do good work, but just not having the additional burden that comes with another role. If someone’s really a pure technician, they might be glad not to have that additional people burden layered on them.