Developing a Succession Plan

What is Succession Planning?

A deliberate and systematic effort by an organization to ensure leadership continuity in key positions, retains and develops
intellectual and knowledge capital for the future, and encourage individual advancement.

Succession Planning
• Ensures that employees are recruited and/or developed to fill each key role.!

• Ensures that we operate effectively when individuals occupying critical positions depart.

• May be used for managerial positions or unique or hard-to fill roles.

• Align bench strength for replacing critical positions

What is “Bench Strength”?

An assessment of the organization’s preparedness to replace departing staff in critical positions. Identifying people who are
ready to step into someone else’s shoes at the appropriate time under the appropriate circumstances with seamless transition.

Succession Planning is NOT

• A onetime event

• Decided by an individual
• Used solely for individual career advancement opportunities

• Reacting only when a position becomes open

• Line mangers relying solely on their own knowledge/comfort with candidates.

Replacement vs. Succession

• Reactive • Pro-Active

• Form of Risk • Planned Future

Management Development

• Substituting • Renewing

• Narrow Approach • Organized Alignment

• Restricted • Flexible
 Traditional vs. Future

a. Driven by an annual HR procedures a. Driven by current and future business needs

b. Entitlement focus – b. Successors determined by an open

bureaucratic/buddy payback system process with multiple inputs and factors
- decided in secret

c. “The list” and identified development c. Development plans, development

actions, but no accountability discussions and coaching with both candidate,
for development management, mentors, and others held
accountable for progress and monitoring

STEPS IN THE PROCESS

• Phase 1: Identify Key/Critical Positions

• Phase 2: Conduct Position Analysis

• Phase 3: Develop Succession Plan

• Phase 4: Monitor, Evaluate, Revise

Phase 1: Identify Key/Critical Positions

• Key Contributor- in achieving the organization’s mission or would hinder vital functions

• Specialized Leadership – The position requires specialized or unique expertise

• Geographic – The position is the only one of its kind in a particular location

• Vacancy- Position will be vacant due to retirement/advancement in the organization/lateral moves

Phase 2: Conduct Position Analysis

• What are the external and internal factors affecting this position?

• What competencies or skill sets will be required?

• What are the gaps (competencies or skill sets not possessed by the current staff)?

• What strategies will be used to address the gaps?

Phase 3: Develop Succession Plan

The succession plan is the culmination of Phases 1 and 2.

• Reviews of the individual positions and high turnover job classes are rolled into one
document and gaps and strategies are formulated at an organizational or unit level.

• The strategies to overcome the gaps are outlined to include target completion dates,
responsible parties and required resources.

Phase 4: Monitor, Evaluate, Revise

• Select evaluation period-typically reviewed annually

• Be prepared to respond rapidly to unforeseen changes to the plan

• Status/Progress updates should be monitored via the succession planning template and

EPA’s (depends what employees chooses here)

• (Is this a good point to go into tools and add presentation of strategy?)

Refining the Program

• Prepare a program action plan

•
• Communicate the action plan

• Conduct Succession Planning meetings at leadership level initially

• Training on Succession Planning