Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Do you keep running things the way they’ve already been going? Or is time for a
change? Do you promote internally, or look for talent elsewhere? When should you start
planning the succession?
All leaders have their own unique style, with no two executives ever running things
exactly the same way. But this doesn’t need to be an issue. If the succession is
managed smoothly, switching between leaders can be a beneficial process for
everyone involved, especially the company and its stakeholders.
The pressure to reward loyalty or hard work with a promotion can be intense, and no
one likes hurt feelings or stepped on toes. But with careful planning, it is possible to put
the right person in the role without upsetting your other candidates.
2. Resisting bias
People find comfort in familiarity, and hiring managers and executives are no
exception. Some men naturally lean toward men, some women lean towards women
and vice versa. The temptation to hire someone that fits a certain stereotype can
override logical, skill based thought processes.
Planning ahead to identify characteristics required for a successor will ensure the
candidate with skills best suited to the job(beyond their age, gender and background)
will be hired.
People are complicated, and that can make planning a succession complicated too.
Balancing everyone’s career goals with what’s best for the business, keeping the right
people in the loop and ensuring that the succession planning process is fair and
objective can sometimes require more resources than your company can spare.
Use our One Question Succession Plan to simplify your succession planning model and
help your company grow in the right direction.