“Succession planning is critical for an organization’s long-term success, yet it’s a task that’s often overlooked,” says John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology. “By taking proactive steps to identify and develop future leaders, a manager’s departure is a workable issue instead of an imminent crisis,” Reed said in a press release.
Reed added that succession planning is beneficial for everyone involved. “Successors are given the opportunity to build their skills, often boosting loyalty to the company in the process, and executives are able to delegate more responsibilities,” he said.
Do you know who the future leaders of your organization will be? Don’t wonder, plan! Check out BLR’s September 12 webinar “Succession Planning and Cross-Training Summit” for key information on grooming the leaders of the future. Get the details here.
Robert Half Technology offers the following 5 tips on finding and grooming a successor:
- Start early. It can take time to identify and prepare a promising candidate for a leadership role, so begin the process early. Even if you doubt you’ll need a replacement anytime soon, preparing someone to assume your duties creates a safety net in the event of an unforeseen absence or extended leave.
- Keep an open mind. While the obvious successor may be your second in command, don’t overlook other promising employees. Look for candidates who best display the skills necessary to excel in the role—including both strong technical aptitude and leadership abilities—regardless of title.
- Share the vision. Include prospective managers in strategy discussions to help them acquire planning and leadership skills, as well as a broad vision of the company and its goals.
- Make it ongoing. Provide regular feedback to protégés so they can continue to progress and meet expectations.
- Take a trial run. A vacation is a good time to have a potential successor assume some of your responsibilities. The employee will gain experience while you learn how prepared the person is to take on a greater role.
Looking for expert advice on how to groom your current employees for future leadership success? Look no further than BLR’s September 12 webinar “Succession Planning and Cross-Training Summit.” Find out more here.
Need more in-depth information on creating and implementing an effective succession plan? Check out BLR’s upcoming webinar on this critical topic:
“Succession Planning and Cross-Training Summit”
Groom Your Current Employees for Future Success
“Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail!” It’s an old saying but one never more true for organizations without a leadership succession plan in place.
Leading a workforce isn’t easy. From the C-Suite down to front-line supervisors, leaders are having to do more with less while managing an increasingly stressed out workforce that is frustrated from a slow-to-improve economy.
Good managers are hard to find, and when you have one driving your organization’s success, you want him or her to stick around for the long haul and assume positions of increasing responsibility.
But without a succession plan in place, the best leaders leave. Maybe they’re jumping ship for a better offer or perhaps they feel trapped in a dead-end role. And it’s a common problem — 83 percent of C-Suite executives say they haven’t identified a successor.
That’s why it’s crucial for you to develop and apply a plan so your organization can make a seamless transition that keeps it productive and on track, even as the torch passes.
Participate in this interactive extended webinar, and you’ll learn:
- How to build a succession planning strategy from the ground up, including the key components your plan should include,
- The key points to drive home to your C-Suite, so you get the buy-in you need to develop your resources,
- How to determine what your “mission critical” positions are,
- When job rotation programs make sense,
- Building the business case for job rotation programs and cross training,
- How to design a diversity-based succession planning program for long-term success, and
- And much, much more!
Sign up now to reserve your spot at BLR’s webinar, “Succession Planning and Cross-Training Summit,” on September 12.