Why Succession Planning?
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Why Succession Planning?
Succession planning is not just a nice thing to do, but rather it is a necessary process that should be in place to protect the overall health of the organization - big or small.
By: Roger Ingbretsen
Succession planning is not just a nice thing to do, but rather it is a necessary process that should be in place to protect the overall health of the organization - big or small.
By: Roger Ingbretsen
Who is going to step into your shoes when you get promoted, have a major medical problem or leave the organization? What is your retention strategy for the individuals who are important to the success of your organization?
The proactive and well orchestrated succession planning process, ensures that vacancies - planned or unplanned - are filled by someone who is ready for the position. In team sports, second and third string players are in place to provide backup for the first string players. This practice of having “almost” ready top talent in backup positions serves as an excellent process to groom and develop the next generation of first string players. This same “talent mind-set” should be effectively applied to profit and non-profit organizations.
Succession planning and the development of leadership talent are important to the organization if it is not only going to survive, but also grow. In fact, leadership development, succession planning and performance management combined, should be viewed as the three important parts of the overall organizational talent-building process.
To be most effective, succession planning should begin with thorough analysis and a deliberate seeking of answers to the following questions.
• Where is the organization presently experiencing the greatest pain?
• Who can I not afford to lose because they are critical to the operation?
• Where and where not, is strong leadership presently being displayed?
• Who does not have a strong backup?
• Who is the most probable individual to leave next due to retirement, health or other reasons?
• At what organizational level - top, mid, lower - does the greatest need for leadership development appear to be needed the most?
• What critical positions are open?
• How quickly can a vacant key position be filled?
• What critical positions do top performers “not” hold?
• Where are the skill-set requirements changing the quickest?
• Which positions will most affect future growth?
• Can you fill at least 50% of your leadership growth from within the organization?
A practical approach to viewing a succession planning process is to see it as a necessary and required continual search for, and the grooming of the best talent. To produce the best results, a succession planning process should include a well orchestrated assessment process, “leadership” training, and stretch performance objectives, coupled with individual one-on-one coaching.
This approach identifies individual strengths and weaknesses, teaches the selected candidate leadership principles, inserts the individual into a “try-before-by” leadership project, and provides the candidate the coaching required for the transition to a leadership role.
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The proactive and well orchestrated succession planning process, ensures that vacancies - planned or unplanned - are filled by someone who is ready for the position. In team sports, second and third string players are in place to provide backup for the first string players. This practice of having “almost” ready top talent in backup positions serves as an excellent process to groom and develop the next generation of first string players. This same “talent mind-set” should be effectively applied to profit and non-profit organizations.
Succession planning and the development of leadership talent are important to the organization if it is not only going to survive, but also grow. In fact, leadership development, succession planning and performance management combined, should be viewed as the three important parts of the overall organizational talent-building process.
To be most effective, succession planning should begin with thorough analysis and a deliberate seeking of answers to the following questions.
• Where is the organization presently experiencing the greatest pain?
• Who can I not afford to lose because they are critical to the operation?
• Where and where not, is strong leadership presently being displayed?
• Who does not have a strong backup?
• Who is the most probable individual to leave next due to retirement, health or other reasons?
• At what organizational level - top, mid, lower - does the greatest need for leadership development appear to be needed the most?
• What critical positions are open?
• How quickly can a vacant key position be filled?
• What critical positions do top performers “not” hold?
• Where are the skill-set requirements changing the quickest?
• Which positions will most affect future growth?
• Can you fill at least 50% of your leadership growth from within the organization?
A practical approach to viewing a succession planning process is to see it as a necessary and required continual search for, and the grooming of the best talent. To produce the best results, a succession planning process should include a well orchestrated assessment process, “leadership” training, and stretch performance objectives, coupled with individual one-on-one coaching.
This approach identifies individual strengths and weaknesses, teaches the selected candidate leadership principles, inserts the individual into a “try-before-by” leadership project, and provides the candidate the coaching required for the transition to a leadership role.
Page 2
About Ingbretsen Consulting LLC: Coach and author Roger Ingbretsen is a certified executive coach and organizational developer providing organizational and career guidance to professionals, managers, supervisors and all individuals looking for "real world" career development information. His entrepreneurial approach will help you learn how to use your strengths, plan, lead and succeed in your career. To know more and claim dozens of Rogers free articles go to www.ingbretsen.com.
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