Succession Planning: How To Prep Tomorrow's Leaders Today

Top five strategies shared by professionals

 

To provide valuable insights into effective succession planning, we reached out to HR leaders and CEOs. From focusing on talent development beyond just technical skills to using job shadowing for seamless succession, here are the top five strategies shared by these professionals to ensure a smooth transition of leadership roles.
 

 

Succession planning lies beyond programs that solely support technical expertise. Talent development must include experiences that allow people to practice leading diverse groups of people amid challenging situations, allow course correction where appropriate, and celebrate milestone achievements. Too often, companies push strong technical performers past their ability, capacity, or even sheer desire to lead people.

Therefore, it’s critical to create career succession paths for individual contributors and people leaders alike. Paths should include communicated criteria, learning opportunities, and a robust evaluation process. Trust and endorsement in the program by all employees are essential. Without trust and endorsement, efforts have a very slim chance of producing outcomes.
 

Vanessa Parker-Lewis, Chief Human Resources Officer, McCormack Baron Companies

As a recruiter, I know the key to a successful succession is timing. Letting the workforce know ahead of time that there will be a change makes for less turnover and upset. Whenever possible, I like to work with both the existing leader and their replacement. Putting them in the same room is a luxury that can only happen when HR is thinking ahead, so again, I appreciate the notice. 

Recently, HR at a large brand came to me with an unexpected leadership departure. I was happy to help them find the perfect placement but was at a disadvantage since the changeover was already in motion.

What I really wanted to ask is why they thought this was an impossibility. Even the most steadfast leadership should be treated as temporary behind the scenes, and a plan should be ready should the unthinkable happen. The last thing you want is to feel rushed. Succession under the gun leads to disgruntled employees and office stress.
 

Linn Atiyeh, CEO, Bemana

In my transition to middle management, I was simultaneously completing a master's degree while also shadowing the work of my predecessor, attending meetings above my rank, and being asked to create reports and presentations.

All of this was building up to my expected promotion. Not only was I being tested in what felt like a prolonged on-the-job interview, but I was also being trained to be able to do the job from day one.

It meant that I had an overview of the essential pinch-points of the year, understood the organization's operations and strategic goals, and already had relationships with key stakeholders. All of which contributed to a smooth changeover.

Having this period of transition meant that the organization was also confident that, with sufficient knowledge transfer, the progression would be seamless.
 

Katharine Gallagher, Founder, Personal and Professional Growth, katharinegallagher.com

Succession planning is a proactive and strategic process. First, define what successful leadership looks like at each level. Identify how to measure this in your organization. On a regular cadence, discuss your top leadership candidates. Then, provide them with tailored development opportunities to prepare them for future leadership roles. This involves a combination of mentorship, training, and exposure to cross-functional projects.

One remarkable instance of effective succession was when we noticed our female leaders were not being promoted internally. We invested in taking our female future leaders through an accelerated leadership program with Ceresa, augmented with internal project opportunities. After nine months, this cohort was all promoted into greater roles within the next two years.
 

Mindy Honcoop, Fractional HR Leader and Advisor, Agile in HR

As a recruiter specializing in the C-suite, I often work with HR to ensure that the transition from one executive to another is seamless. In these cases, I always recommend shadowing, if possible.

It costs a little more in time and effort, but allowing a new hire or internal promotion the chance to walk in the shoes of their predecessor is priceless.

Before implementing this approach, I noticed placements struggling to adapt to less concrete aspects of the job.

One person, in particular, had a dream resume and decades of experience in a similar role. But the firm they'd moved from was tight-knit and casual, and they had no idea how to navigate their new office, which was highly regimented and had a specific (and sometimes unspoken) hierarchy.

Shadowing a previous leader would have given them time to adapt their communication style and adjust to the culture required in their new role.

Travis Hann, Partner, Pender & Howe

Brett Farmiloe is the Founder/CEO and currently the CHRO at Featured.