Succession Planning

Do you have succession challenges in your organization ? For example when an experienced senior management staff is due for retirement in 60 days time, do you have another staff who can take over his roles and responsibilities ? Organizational success will depend very much on a successful succession planning.

Succession planning is a structured effort by an organization to ensure continuity in key positions and to retain and develop intellectual and knowledge capital for the future through:


· identifying positions and/or employees at risk

· growing leadership capacity

· bringing in diversity, including youth and experience and

· encouraging individual advancement.


To be effective, succession management does not stand alone. The organizational and departmental direction and business requirements will influence the type of skills required. Succession management will also be supported by and linked to the HR programs and processes, such as performance management, valuing diversity, recruitment, and compensation


The terms succession planning and succession management are often used interchangeably, however they are different.


Succession planning is defined as: Any effort designed to ensure the continued effective performance of an organization, department or work group by making provision for the development and replacement of key people over time. A key person or position is defined as one required to meet the departmental need in the future
that exerts critical influence on organizational activities, operationally and/or strategically.


Succession management goes a step further—it is more encompassing. It is defined as: A deliberate and systematic effort by an organization to encourage individual advancement and ensure continuity in key positions, including management, technical and professional specialist roles

Succession management provides processes and tools that encourage and facilitate individual advancement at the same time it addresses the need for critical backups
replacement planning) in any job category, including key people in the professional, technical, clerical and production ranks. It can take a specialized or generalized approach. The specialized approach targets gaps in selected job categories, levels, functions or locations and is usually adopted as result of a crisis in the targeted areas.

The generalized approach is focused on creating leadership continuity by preparing individuals for advancement in all job categories, levels, functions, and locations.

Regardless of the approach you take, the process should be one of openness where work requirements, competencies, and success factors at all levels are identified and communicated. Input from all those involved should be sought to ensure that performance assessments and development processes and opportunities are seen as fair and equitable, resulting in a program that is seen as trustworthy and credible.


A good succession management program is identified through its:

· frequent opportunities for employees to accept new challenges

· recognition that employees have a stake in the organization and share in its success

· systematic approach to identifying succession candidates

· cross-divisional/cross-departmental sharing of people and information

· leadership that rewards managers for promoting rather than keeping their best employees for themselves

· career paths that don’t just move up a specialized ladder, but across the organization

· diverse workforce that is representative of the public it services, and

· managers and professional employees all having a career development plan


Succession management is fundamental to organizational learning as it is aimed at preserving institutional memory and continuous improvement in individual and organizational effectiveness. Having a corporate approach to succession management
will:

· provide a seamless service to the citizens in your organizations

· identify replacement needs as a means of targeting necessary training, employee education and development

· provide increased opportunities for high potential employees

· increase the talent pool of promotable employees

· contribute to implementing the organization’s strategic business plans

· help individuals realize their career plans within the organization

· encourage the advancement of diverse groups in the future

· improve employees’ ability to respond to changing environmental demands

· improve employee morale, and

· allow us to cope with effects of attrition (e.g. retirements, restructuring, etc.)


It is strongly recommended that before implementing a succession management program that all those involved have a clear and agreed-upon view of what succession
management means to them and what is expected from the program.

The following model provides four key steps for an organization to take in determining its readiness and approach in implementing a succession management program.

Good succession management is about harnessing all the human resource systems of recruitment, training, performance management, compensation, etc., in support of the
organization’s future. For example, if you are unsuccessful in filling vacancies, you might consider:


· process redesign

· outsourcing

· creating and maintaining competitive skill inventories of high potentials outside of the organization

· organization redesign, and/or

· technological change as some short and long-term strategies.



It is important to think beyond merely replacing key positions or people as the method to achieving organizational effectiveness. Instead, explore innovative ways to tap individual talents while achieving the same or better work results—use the performance management system to integrate work and learning.


When you do have critical vacancies to fill, consider more non-traditional methods. Think outside as well as inside the organization’s boundaries and explore innovative
approaches such as:

· develop temporary or permanent partnerships

· “trade” personnel temporarily with other divisions, departments, and/or organizations

· create talent pools, and

· create “two in the box” positions (i.e., assistant roles)

The model that I used in my consultancy work is discussed below:-


Identification

A key position or function required to meet the departmental need in the future is one that exerts critical influence on organizational activities—operationally, strategically, or both. As there are several corporate succession management programs aimed at developing senior leadership capacity, departments may choose to focus on supervisory and mid-management positions. Other key positions or functions in the organization chart, for example, professional or technical experts or specialists will be a major focus for departments.


Leadership competencies have been identified and are incorporated into the performance management process. These competencies are used in the identification of future leaders and for development purposes for our present leaders. This process can also be used to identify specific technical requirements for a function or department.


Individuals with advancement potential represent the organization’s inventory of future leaders1. They are usually individuals who are capable of advancing two or more levels beyond their present placement or individuals who have not reached their career plateau. Confidence exists that these individuals could move into a more senior leadership role. When identifying advancement potential consider our organizational values, leadership competencies, performance, and learning agility.

Identification should be based on a combination of looking at those characteristics that don’t change much and can be detected early (e.g., the ability to learn quickly), and those that develop across time as the person learns to deal with new situations (e.g., business acumen or negotiation skills).


The talent review meeting, which is facilitated by HR, is an opportunity to discuss individual reports and come to agreement on the list of “potentials” within the department. Through these discussions and opportunities to share information on individual employees, the final list will be compiled. These sessions provide an opportunity to:

· ink the succession management process to the business strategy—consider what has changed inside the department or organization that might impact succession management

· get everyone on the same page—not everyone will have the same idea of what it means to be “advancement potential”. Through discussion, managers will establish common standards and bring multiple viewpoints together. As you have these discussions, it is important to be aware of diversity and the fact that you and/or others may not understand some cultural norms of employees under discussion.

· give employees a sense of fairness—employees must feel succession management is being implemented in an objective way. It is not one person making the decisions, but a team of individuals across the department—even including other stakeholders.

· make real action happen—through the conversations that take place, managers learn more about the capability of the people across the department. This will lead to better assignment decisions.

HR should maintain a “talent” database. This should include information for each employee, such as their potential, performance level, career interests and goals, and
retention risk. As a result of the talent review meetings there should be documented actions for every individual, such as a specific assignment, project, training course, etc.

Each action should have an identified sponsor.

The organization committed to the development of its employees. All employees should have documented performance goals that include a development or competency goal. The goal should focus on the education or experiences required to achieve their results-focused goals. Managers and employees work together on the career development plans.


Considering a person’s knowledge, skills and competencies, identify where development is required. It is important not to focus only on those areas where someone is weak, but also to consider how someone can further develop their strengths. Be aware of diversity and the fact that you may not understand some cultural norms of the employee, and there may be barriers that you can help overcome.


Work with the employee to create a development plan to close the gaps and/or strengthen existing skills and competencies.


Develop goals that are aligned with the business plan and wherever possible, integrate development or competency goals that close any skill/competency gaps. Development opportunities could include a targeted job assignment, a project (departmental or inter-departmental), a formal training program, or an external activity.

Continue discussion with the employee to exert a positive influence in their motivation, performance, awareness for improvement and development to help them be as effective as possible.


Consider if goals are being achieved and gaps are being closed. Remember, individuals may move on the talent map. Some may drop from the “advancement potential” category as they are promoted to a new role or have made a decision to stay at their present level, while others may be added.

Conclusion


We need to sum up the responsibilities of employees, managers and the HR department to conclude this article:-


Employees are responsible for:

· expressing their interest in pursuing a new role

· creating and keeping up-to-date career development plans

· working with their managers to identify development opportunities

· being open to, and acting on, feedback

· making every effort to achieve their performance management goals

· taking opportunities and/or risks to further their development and career



Managers are responsible for:

· fairly assessing the individuals who report to them

· actively participating in talent review meetings

· having open and honest career discussions with employees

· working with individuals on career development plans and providing growth opportunities

· providing ongoing coaching

· ensuring the current and future needs of the business are met



HR is responsible for:



· facilitating talent review meetings as requested

· collecting names of “advancement potentials” to keep in a central repository and updating it as required

· facilitating career development moves to provide individuals with growth opportunities

· assisting hiring managers match positions and individuals for possible promotions and/or assignments

· defining appropriate types of training and development based on the career path