Dear Bob ... I'm an executive in a company that's been small a long time. Recently, under new leadership, we've been experiencing significant growth. From where I sit that's terrific. The problem is that we have quite a few valuable, loyal employees who continue to be valuable, loyal employees where they are, but who clearly aren't going to be able to grow with the company. We've done our best to provide them wi Dear Bob …I’m an executive in a company that’s been small a long time. Recently, under new leadership, we’ve been experiencing significant growth. From where I sit that’s terrific.The problem is that we have quite a few valuable, loyal employees who continue to be valuable, loyal employees where they are, but who clearly aren’t going to be able to grow with the company. We’ve done our best to provide them with training, guidance, and encouragement, but for one reason or another they seem to have reached their limits. I don’t want to terminate them, for any number of reasons, one of which is that they really are quite valuable doing what they do. I’m concerned, though, that if they see the real opportunities going to people in from the outside that it will cause problems.Any suggestions?– Leaving people behind Dear Leaving …You’re describing a tough situation. And it can arise for a variety of reasons. One of the most common is really simple: Some people work better in small, stable companies than in larger, dynamic ones. That’s who they are. All you can do is provide opportunities. There simply isn’t a way to guarantee they’ll succeed in them.You didn’t state the obvious risk, so I will. That’s that few people are honest enough with themselves to accept that they aren’t progressing because of their own limitations. You say these employees continue to provide real value and I believe you. Be alert to a change in their attitude – there’s a good chance some will turn sour and begin to complain, and complain bitterly about your giving all the good jobs to newcomers. That kind of thing is poisonous. The best you can do (that I know of, at least) is this:First, express confidence in their ability to succeed. Continue to provide opportunities as you can, and provide them visibly. Few employees are vocal about the limitations of their co-workers, but most know who performs and who doesn’t.Second, promote those long-term employees who do succeed in new roles. It’s awfully hard to credit someone who complains about all the good opportunities going to newcomers when that clearly isn’t the case. And finally, be honest and straightforward about the gap between what an employee needs to achieve in order to progress and each employee’s actual performance. These are difficult conversations. They’re important, too. If you consistently make clear what someone needs to do to reach the next level, and you consistently point out where they’re falling short, you’ve placed responsibility for each employee’s career where it belongs.With each employee.– Bob ——– Technology Industry