What is succession planning? Everything you need to know

What is succession planning?

Succession planning is a strategic process that involves identifying and developing potential successors for key leadership positions within an organization. The goal of succession planning is to ensure that there is a smooth transition of leadership when a key leader retires, resigns, or is otherwise no longer able to fulfill their responsibilities.

Succession planning involves assessing the current talent within an organization, identifying high-potential employees, and developing plans to prepare them for leadership roles. This may include training, mentoring, job rotations, and other forms of professional development.
Effective succession planning helps organizations to mitigate the risks associated with leadership turnover, maintain continuity of operations, and ensure that the organization is well-positioned for future success.

Why is succession planning important?

Succession planning is important for several reasons:

Continuity: Succession planning ensures that the organization has a pipeline of qualified candidates who can take over key leadership roles when needed, thereby ensuring continuity of operations.
Retention: Employees who are identified as potential successors and who are given development opportunities are more likely to be engaged and committed to the organization, which increases the likelihood that they will stay with the organization over the long term.
Talent development: Succession planning is a way to identify and develop top talent within the organization, which can lead to increased productivity, innovation, and competitiveness.
Risk mitigation: Succession planning helps to mitigate the risks associated with unexpected turnover in key leadership positions, such as loss of institutional knowledge, decreased productivity, and negative impacts on employee morale.
Strategic alignment: Succession planning can be used to align leadership development with the organization’s strategic goals and objectives, ensuring that future leaders have the skills and experience needed to drive the organization forward.

Succession planning is a proactive approach to managing talent and ensuring the long-term success of the organization.

Succession planning model

There are several models of succession planning, but here is a commonly used five-step model:

Identify key positions: Identify the key positions that are critical to the success of the organization and for which succession planning is necessary.
Assess talent: Evaluate the current talent within the organization and identify potential successors for key positions. This may involve performance evaluations, competency assessments, and talent reviews.
Develop talent: Create a development plan for potential successors that includes training, mentoring, job rotations, and other forms of professional development.
Monitor progress: Monitor the progress of potential successors and adjust development plans as necessary. This may involve regular check-ins, feedback, and performance evaluations.
Implement transition: When a key leader leaves the organization, implement the transition plan for the new leader, which may include onboarding, coaching, and other support to ensure a smooth transition.

It’s important to note that succession planning is an ongoing process, and each step should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that the organization has the right talent in place to meet its changing needs. Additionally, it’s crucial to involve key stakeholders, such as senior leaders and HR professionals, in the process to ensure alignment with the organization’s overall goals and objectives.

Succession planning framework

A succession planning framework typically includes the following components:

Business strategy: The framework should be aligned with the organization’s strategic goals and objectives to ensure that the right talent is developed for the right roles.
Key positions: Identify the key positions within the organization that are critical to its success, such as executive leadership roles, technical experts, or other critical positions.
Competencies and skills: Identify the competencies and skills required for success in each key position, and use this information to create a competency model for each role.
Talent assessment: Assess the current talent pool to identify potential successors for each key position. This may include performance evaluations, competency assessments, and other talent review processes.
Development plans: Create individualized development plans for potential successors that include training, mentoring, job rotations, and other forms of professional development to prepare them for the key positions.
Succession metrics: Develop metrics to track the success of the succession planning process, such as retention rates, promotion rates, and leadership effectiveness.
Evaluation and improvement: Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the succession planning process and make improvements as necessary based on the data collected.
Communication: Communicate the succession planning process and its importance to employees and stakeholders to build support and understanding.

The framework should be flexible enough to adapt to changing organizational needs and should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure its continued effectiveness. Additionally, it should be integrated with other HR processes such as performance management, talent management, and workforce planning to create a cohesive talent strategy for the organization.

A four-step succession planning process

Here is a simple four-step succession planning process:

Identify key positions: Identify the key positions within the organization that are critical to its success and require a succession plan.
Develop potential successors: Identify potential successors for each key position and develop them through training, job rotations, mentoring, and other forms of professional development.
Evaluate and select candidates:Evaluate potential successors for each key position using objective criteria, such as performance evaluations, competency assessments, and leadership potential. Select the most qualified candidates for each position.
Implement transition plan: Implement a transition plan to ensure a smooth transfer of knowledge and responsibilities from the outgoing leader to the incoming leader. The plan may include onboarding, coaching, and other forms of support.

It’s important to note that this process is iterative and should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure its effectiveness. Additionally, it should be integrated with other HR processes such as performance management, talent management, and workforce planning to create a comprehensive talent strategy for the organization.

Succession planning examples

Here are a few examples of succession planning:

Leadership pipeline: A company creates a leadership pipeline, identifying high-potential employees and developing them through a series of job rotations and development opportunities. As leaders retire or move on, the company has a pool of qualified internal candidates ready to take over key leadership positions.
Cross-training: A manufacturing company cross-trains employees in different departments, allowing them to gain a broad range of skills and knowledge. This creates a pool of versatile employees who can fill in for each other when needed, reducing the impact of unexpected absences and creating a more resilient workforce.
Mentorship program: A law firm creates a mentorship program to develop junior associates into partners. Partners are paired with junior associates and provide coaching and guidance to help them develop the skills and experience needed to become successful partners.
Succession planning committee: An organization creates a succession planning committee composed of senior leaders, HR professionals, and other key stakeholders. The committee is responsible for identifying key positions, assessing talent, and developing potential successors.

These are just a few examples of how organizations can implement succession planning. The approach will vary depending on the organization’s size, industry, and culture, but the goal is always the same: to ensure that the organization has a pipeline of qualified talent ready to take over key positions when needed.

Succession planning best practices

Here are some best practices for effective succession planning:

Align with business strategy: Ensure that the succession plan aligns with the organization’s overall business strategy and objectives. This ensures that the right talent is developed for the right roles and that the organization is prepared for future growth and change.
Identify key positions: Identify the key positions that are critical to the success of the organization and for which succession planning is necessary. This includes executive leadership roles, technical experts, and other critical positions.
Involve senior leadership: Involve senior leadership in the succession planning process to ensure that it is a priority and receives adequate resources and support.
Evaluate talent objectively: Evaluate talent objectively using performance evaluations, competency assessments, and leadership potential assessments. This helps to identify potential successors based on their skills and potential rather than their tenure or personal relationships.
Develop potential successors: Develop potential successors through training, mentoring, job rotations, and other forms of professional development. This helps to ensure that they are ready to take on key roles when needed.
Create a transition plan: Create a transition plan to ensure a smooth transfer of knowledge and responsibilities from the outgoing leader to the incoming leader. This plan may include onboarding, coaching, and other forms of support.
Regularly review and update: Regularly review and update the succession plan to ensure that it remains relevant and effective. This includes updating job requirements, identifying new potential successors, and adjusting development plans as needed.
Communicate the plan: Communicate the succession plan and its importance to employees and stakeholders to build support and understanding.

By following these best practices, organizations can ensure that they have a pipeline of qualified talent ready to take on key roles when needed, and that they are prepared for future growth and change.