Career &

Succession
Planning
 Acknowledgements

• Prof. Preeti Bhaskar, Symbiosis Centre for

Management Studies, Noida.
• Dr. Jeff Kudisch – MD, Office of Career Services,
University of Maryland.
What is‘Career’?
• It’s a series of work related activities, that offer continuity,
order and meaning to a person’s life.
• It’s an indivudal’s choice and onus.
• It’s a long drawn process.
• It should ideally be an eclectic mix of transitions and
positions.
Career Stages
 Contd…
❖ Exploration: the transition that occurs in mid-twenties as one looks
at work after college education, seeking answer to various
questions about careers from teachers, friends etc.
❖ Establishment: this is the stage where one begins the search
for work, picks up the first job, commits mistakes and learns
thereafter.
❖ Mid-career: Between 35 and 50 one is typically confronted with
a plateaued career, where your maturity and experience are still
valued but there is the nagging feeling of having lost the initial fire in
the belly.
❖
❖ Late career: This is the stage where one relaxes a bit and plays an
elderly role, offering advice to younger ones as to how to avoid
career mistakes and grow continually.
❖ Decline: This is the stage where one is constantly reminded of
retirement, after a series of hits and misses.
So, why plan a career for self
and for the employees?
 How do people choose careers?

• Interest
• Self-image
• Personality
• Family background
• Social background
• Qualification
 But…
• As per various engagement reports by
Gallup, Hewitt –
70% of us do not feel
• Nearly
engaged at work & Over half of us
would start over if we could.
• This is what “Career Paralysis” is all
about…Wherein –

– You are scared to step into the unknown, out

of your comfort zone
– You aren’t sure of taking risks.
– You start losing touch of yourself and are
clueless about where you are headed.
The reasons for this
complications are…
• Too much choice overwhelms us.
– The paradox of choice - we feel overwhelmed by the options open to us and
scared of the loss that comes with making a decision.

• Our negative biases.

– When faced with a difficult choice, we allow caution to creep in.

• Short term ease over long term values –

Follow the next couple of slides).
How does this relate to career decision making?
Short terms comparisons mean we are highly
influenced by what others do and say.

But they also lead us into a trap, which looks like

this…
Human motivation works in two
directions:
 Human motivation works in two
directions:
1. Move away
from bad stuff
Human motivation works in two
directions:
2. Move towards
good stuff
Most people say they want to move
this way in their career

I’m heading towards

my goals and
values!
Yet what usually then shows up is...
Yet what usually then shows up is...
Difficult and
scary stuff!
Eeek!
 That’s
right..!
The short term result of moving towards our
values is usually negative
thoughts and
uncomfortable emotions...

Oh, the humanity! Eeek!

So guess what most of us do next?

We move away!
#RELIEF
!
Phew!
But..
.

If we make it a priority to avoid difficult emotions…

we might avoid our demons….

But we also avoid the things that make life
worthwhile.
Result:

By prioritising the avoidance of difficult emotions

over the things we really value…
We lose control over our lives.
 Reasons continued…
• Linear thinking pattern of our brains.
– Functional fixedness leads to a sense that we can only do what we have always
done.

• Treating thoughts as facts.

• Hence, some sense should be put in w.r.t.
career planning to come out of the enigma
called “career Paralysis”.
 Its Importance in HRM
A typical
Employee The manager

views a career sees career

Win-Win situation planning
planning
program
for all as a retention
as a path to And
upward motivational
mobility tool

The top management

view as a
tool for
succession planning
Objective of career planning

Attract and
retrain talent Reduce Better
by offering employee succession
better career turnover planning
growth
Use HR
effectively Improve
and achieve morale and
greater motivation
productivity
 Typical entry-level Employee Expectation vs.
Reality

Expectation
• “I will have much freedom to work as
I please”
• “Most of my work projects will fun.”
• “I will receive lot of helpful feedback
from my boss”
• “If I do well at work, I will get good
raises and promotions”
• performance count”
“I can apply the latest technique
that I learned at school”
• “I will be able to balance my
personal needs and work life”
Reality
• “My boss tells me what to do
and how to do it.”
• “I have much boring, routine
work”
• “Money and promotions are
limited and factors other than
• “People resist new ideas that I
suggest”
• “My job and personal goals often
conflict”
 Process of Career Planning & Development

Analysis of individual skills, knowledge, abilities, aptitudes etc.

Analysis of career opportunities both within and outside the organization.

Analysis of career demands on the incumbent in terms of skills, knowledge, abilities,

aptitude etc., and in terms of qualifications, experience and training received etc.

Relating specific jobs to different career opportunities.

Establishing realistic goals both short-term and long-term.

Formulating career strategy covering areas of change and adjustment.

Preparing and implementing action plan including acquiring resources for achieving
goals.
 Career Management
Career management is the process of designing and
implementing goals, plans and strategies that enable HR
professionals and managers to satisfy workforce needs and allow
individuals to achieve their career objectives.
Career management Model -
Why doesn’t the top brass of most of the
top organisations ever travel together in
the same flight?
• ‘Coz in most of the cases, right people are
not ready to fill into their shoes if the flight
crashes…
Hence, Succession Planning…
A deliberate and systematic effort by an organization to
ensure leadership continuity in key positions, retain and
develop intellectual and knowledge capital for the future,
and encourage individual advancement.

38
 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.
Challenges of SP
Succession Planning – What it is
Not
 Succession Planning is NOT
• A one time 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

44
 Traditional vs.
• Driven by an annual HR
procedures
• Entitlement focus –
bureaucratic/buddy payback
system - decided in secret
• “The list” and identified
development actions, but no
accountability for development
Future
• Driven by current and future
business needs
• Successors determined by an
open process with multiple
inputs and factors
• Development plans,
development discussions and
coaching with both candidate,
management, mentors, and
others held accountable for
progress and monitoring
45
Maturing the Analytics
Mark is the Chairman of a family run textile business, who has the love and respect of his
family, clients and employees. The old trooper has been the owner and manager of the
business for 50 years, but was recently diagnosed with a rapidly progressing case of
Alzheimer’s disease. Now he is unable to manage the business.

He has three sons, who have no interest in the family business and a nephew (Jake) who
is very knowledgeable about the industry but not groomed to make up for Mark’s
absence. In such a situation, the questions that can arise:

•Picking a successor is a long drawn process. In the interim, what if a wrong decision is
taken, on behalf of Mark, regarding an important deal? What of the financial and
perceptual impact on the business?
•What if stakeholders (employees, dealers and government officials) are just not able to
accept someone new, and fairly a stranger, in Mark’s place?
Since Mark is getting forgetful, who has enough company know-how and seniority to
decide on the successor?

Also, shouldn’t the successor of a flourishing business have time to learn under the
guidance of the chairman before taking on such a huge responsibility?
Steps in the process

Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management

 Step 1: Link Strategic and Workforce Planning Decisions

• Mark and his close advisers need to decide where the

company is headed – if the current organisational
structure needs a revamp, if it needs to adopt a new 
hiring strategy during the economic crisis etc.
 Step 2: Analyse Gaps

• Mark needs to understand the experience levels and

industry know-how that will be required to replace him
and other senior leaders in his business. Then he can
chalk out a business plan outlining the number of people
who will need to be trained or hired to take up leadership
roles in the long term.
 Step 3: Identify Talent Pools

• Mark needs to identify senior management and

other staff members who would, for their
specialized skills or level of experience, be hard
to replace. He also should identify those in the
existing and external talent pool who can be
trained to fill these positions.
 Step 4: Develop Succession Strategies
• Mark needs to find out what incentives will help in recruiting talented
leaders – is it recruitment and relocation bonuses or certain special
programs? He then needs to figure out how to retain these
extraordinary resources, whether it is through retention bonuses or
programs to improve work – life balance.

• Finally he needs to evaluate the right development/learning

strategies to keep the employees growing in skill towards their new
role through a mix of planned job assignments, coaching, mentoring
and shadowing; and assessment and feedback.
 Step 5: Implement Succession Strategies

• Mark needs to sign-off and allow for the

implementation of the succession activities. This
includes communicating to Jake, his nephew,
the future planned for him at the company and
having him shadow Mark until he is ready to take
over.
 Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate

• Mark and his posse of advisers need to monitor

Jake’s progress, in skill acquisition, towards
become the next chairman of the textile
business. If he is seen to be falling short of
meeting his targets corrective measures need to
be taken. 
What tools will we use?
 Decision Making Matrix
SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER
(High Performance/Low Potential)
∙Gets all important things done
∙Is a pro in his/her position
∙Is seen as a leader in his/her area
∙Has reached potential
Action Required:
Continue developing in current position; is in
Performance
the right job
QUESTIONABLE PERFORMER
(Medium Performance/Low Potential)
∙Gets most important things done
∙Is very proficient in his/her current position
∙Is not seen as a leader in his/her area
Action Required:
Work on improving performance in current
job; may be candidate for lateral move
LOW PERFORMER
(Low Performance/Low Potential)
∙Isn’t getting most important things done
∙Difficulty performing to standards in his/her
current position
Action Required:
Consider reassignment to more appropriate
position; including lower level or exit option
STRONG PERFORMER
(High Performance/Med Potential)
∙Gets all important things done
∙May act at level of capability of one level
above current position
∙Acts as leader and role model
∙Exhibits many strengths or competencies
beyond current role
∙Some leadership development issues
Action Required:
Look for opportunity to display leadership in
current job
SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER
(Medium Performance/Medium Potential)
∙Gets most important things done
∙Shows signs of leadership and role modeling
∙Exhibits many FCC executive competencies
∙May be new in position
Action Required:
Leave in current job; continue developing
skills and improving performance
QUESTIONABLE PERFORMER
(Low Performance/Medium Potential)
∙Isn’t getting most important things done
∙Capable of making higher contribution
∙May be in wrong job or occupied with non-
work distraction
Action Required:
Focus on improving performance
Potential
STAR PERFORMER
(High Performance/High Potential)
∙Gets all important things done
∙Acts at a level of capability of at least one
level above current position
∙Acknowledged as a skilled leader and role
model
∙Exhibits many strengths or competencies
beyond current role
∙Has wide spread influence beyond current
role
Action Required:
Stretch assignments to prepare for larger role
STRONG PERFORMER
(Medium Performance/High Potential)
∙Gets most important things done
∙Acknowledged as a leader and role model
∙Exemplifies FCC executive competencies
∙Acts at level of capability of next level in the
organization
Action Required:
Focus on performance short term and
development opportunities long term
SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER
(Low Performance/High Potential)
∙Isn’t getting most important things done
∙Has been acknowledged as a team player and
role model
∙Has exemplified FCC executive
competencies
∙May be in wrong job or occupied with non-
work distraction
Action Required:
Address root cause performance issue; worthy
of investment in development
 Decision Making Matrix
SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER-B STRONG PERFORMER-A STAR PERFORMER-A
(High Performance/Low Potential) (High Performance/Med Potential) (High Performance/High Potential)

JF LA BR
EB TO
EK
Performance

QUESTIONABLE PERFORMER-C SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER-B STRONG PERFORMER-A

(Medium Performance/Low Potential) (Medium Performance/Medium Potential) (Medium Performance/High Potential)

DS EH TK
LG AG
TW
KS
DS

LOW PERFORMER-Mange up or QUESTIONABLE PERFORMER-C SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER-B

out (Low Performance/Medium Potential) (Low Performance/High Potential)
(Low Performance/Low Potential)

Potential
 Chart Results: Talent Summary
Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies
Communi
Integration Cross Organizatio Develops
Drive for action
and Boundary Adaptability n Self and
Technolog Results and
B Perspective Alignment Others
Manage- Market y Strategy Influence
al
Participants ment Knowledg and and
a
of Budget e Business Planning
n
Methods            
c
e
           

  Participant 1

Participant 2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Participant 3                      
Participant 4                      
Participant 5                      
Participant 6                      
Participant 7                      
Participant 8                      
Participant 9                      
Participant 10                      
Participant 11          
           
Participant 12          
This graphical representation   performance
     (each row  on the vertical
 
 
Participant 13     is a comparison
  of  each individual’s by competency axis
represents an individual's score).
         
- Exceeds Standards - At Standard - Needs Development

59
SP Case in point…IBM talent Sparks
 Barriers
• Organizational politics: who owns the talent
– Not looking beyond own department needs; fear of losing employees to
other areas
• Lack of candor/confidentiality among managers
• Conflict over long- vs. short-term objectives/static focus
• Difficulties in selecting the right people to develop; questionable data; risk
averse attitude.
• Managers/supervisors lacks skills in developing other people
• Lack of integration with other HRM practices
– Limited information flow and utilization (i.e., skills banks)
– Managers not accountable/rewarded for identifying & developing
successors
• Process so confidential that all key players are not in the loop/lack of
transparency
• Negative impact on employee motivation and attitudes
• Lack of top management commitment
– Fear of identifying one’s potential replacement
“The question of tomorrow’s management is,
above all, a concern for our society. Let me put
it bluntly - we have reached a point where we
simply will not be able to tolerate as a country,
as a society, as a government, the danger that
any one of our major companies will decline or
collapse because it has not made adequate
provisions for management succession.”
Peter Drucker