Ensuring Future Talent – Succession Planning

Succession Planning

A systemic approach to managing your talent is critical in today’s business climate.

Succession planning is not just reserved for Global 100 corporations. Small to medium sized organizations, family businesses, and large corporations all need a robust process for growing talent. The complexities of business today dictate nothing less.

• “We can’t afford to have the wrong people occupy key leadership positions in our company. The stakes are too high, the mistakes are costly. Some of our key staff are retiring in the next 5 years and I am not sure we have people ready to fill those positions. How can we know who’s ready? Quite frankly we don’t have any time to waste.”

Ensuring Future Talent

How well prepared is your organization with regard to its talent? Do you have replacements ready when key positions are vacated? Do you have a system in place for people to know what to develop to assume greater responsibilities? Do you quarrel at meetings over who is ready and who isn’t?

Developing a shared language and shared process is the first step to a robust succession planning process. When the process is clear and everyone knows the targets, you can drive development for critical roles where it belongs- to motivated employees with aspirations for doing more. This will ensure you have employees with “ready now” vs. maybe or never as a designation.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive Coach Melodie Howard in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Melodie Howard’s firm, In Perspective Consulting, focuses on designing and executing sustainable systems for development. Her particular specialties are: succession planning, corporate values, performance management systems, senior leadership competency development, executive coaching, 360o feedback and talent management. Melodie’s previous experience includes serving as the Group Director of Organizational Development for leading international re-insurance company, Partner Reinsurance, Ltd., based in Hamilton, Bermuda. She continues to work with them on a retained consultancy basis. Prior to her role at PartnerRe, Melodie spent 16 years at the Center for Creative Leadership in both operational and profit and loss responsibility roles. Melodie received her Master’s of Science in Organization Development from Pepperdine University in August of 2000 and a B.S. in Psychology from Guilford College in 1980. You can find Melodie’s profile onTheCoachingAssociation.com.