If you’ve been in some meetings on succession planning, you may have heard some leaders saying, “Oh, my successor is not ready”, “She still has a lot to learn” or “Maybe after two more years.” Then as you ask for specifics, the discussion sinks into vagueness.
“He’s not ready.” So WHY is he not yet ready?
“She still has a lot to learn.” So what precisely does she have to learn and how can she learn them?
“Maybe after two more years.” So what needs to happen within those two years? (The “maybe” was a dead giveaway.)
In my experience, there are many who agree that succession planning is critical for business continuity, yet never get around to devote the three Ts: time, thinking, and tasking.
Obviously, intellectual assent is not enough. I’m also aware there may be emotional resistance, for example, the leader who ties his identity with his position and thus find it hard to let it go. Cue Idina Menzel’s song.
If you hesitate to do succession planning because it looks daunting to you, here’s a three-question starter kit:
What is holding your potential successor back from being ready?
Beware: that reason may be you. If you’re reluctant to have a successor, it helps to explore “What is making me reluctant?” Also, what is the unintended consequence of not having a successor? For me, I can’t take long vacations!
Then again, maybe the obstacle is in the successor. For example, he already knows the ropes but doesn’t believe he can do your job. In this case, perhaps what he needs is building up self-confidence in a safe environment.
What will make your successor ready?
I suspect we leaders are so busy that we want HR, specifically L&D, to make the successor ready. But that’s actually your job. HR is there to facilitate. If the issue is limited L&D, congratulations! You’re now his L&D.
If what your successor needs is core knowledge and skills, my favorite tool is an individual development plan using the 70-20-10 framework with scheduled check-ins. Co-create it with your successor because what YOU think he needs may be different from what HE thinks he needs.
For example, I knew my successor needed financial analysis skills. But I was surprised when he asked for training in public speaking. (P.S. He’s now with Toastmasters.)
What will tell you that he is ready?
Unless you’re immortal, you cannot have a succession plan that extends forever. So have a clear end-in-mind that will be documentable evidence that he is ready to do your job. Is it him finishing a capstone project? Chairing meetings? Making presentations?
Remember, the enemy of succession planning is vagueness; that includes how it will turn out in the end.
So the next time the business owner asks you, “Do you have a successor?”, have the delight of replying, “Yes. In fact, he’s ready now.”
Who knows? Maybe that business owner will say, “Great! Now I can promote you.”
May 15, 2024
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