They say
“I’ve already been doing the job.”
Your response
“You may already be doing parts of the job. Let’s compare that with the full role: what you are responsible for every day, which decisions you make without approval, how many people depend on those decisions, and what happens when they go wrong.”
First, check this
Have you given the employee sustained higher-level ownership and decision rights without recognition, or have they completed only selected stretch assignments?
Why this works
Doing some higher-level tasks may demonstrate readiness, but isolated stretch work is not always the same as carrying the full role. Compare work done consistently, decisions made without approval, difficult situations handled, people affected, and consequences when decisions go wrong. The same test may also show that the employee has already been carrying the larger job without the title.
Don’t say
“Doing some of the work doesn’t mean you’re ready.”