The desire for organizational growth is compelling executives to prepare next gen leadership, today. Business future planning is dependent on having talented leaders ready to accelerate to higher roles and assume the challenges of tomorrow. The Succession Planning process may seem a bit complicated at first yet is manageable and even elevating when broken into steps. Intention today supports your business continuity plan for tomorrow.
Succession Steps
An experienced succession planning coach will facilitate a thorough succession planning discussion that is outcomes-based and organized.
- Describe your business climate of tomorrow. What is your strategy for growth and professional impact for the future? What are the leadership attributes to get you there? Describe the competencies, accomplishments and pivotal experiences leaders must possess to propel your organization in that direction.
- Identify successors within your company and beyond. Who are the people with the attributes for the future? Discuss each successor’s potential and the roles to which they may aspire. Consider leveraging leadership assessments to add data to your instincts; know more about the strengths and gaps of each successor you are preparing. If some of these leaders you identified are external to your organization, meet with them, network and keep them interested.
- Discuss Business Continuity. Do you have an “Interim Coverage Plan?”. If one of your executive leaders were unable to lead tomorrow, which of their successors would you ask to cover and would they be prepared? Let successors know so they hear how important they are to the organization and how they can begin to learn important aspects of the role.
- Develop successors to take on higher role responsibilities today. Coaching for new leadership approaches can accelerate a successor’s readiness for the demands of the next leadership role. Stretch assignments, cross -training and shadowing offer on-the-job experiences that will benefit your organization today and tomorrow.
For a discussion on your succession planning, contact Alison Arkin, SVP Leadership Development, at aarkin@ratliffandcompany.com.
