In a previous blog post “Succession…Planning, who is going to replace you and the leaders around you? – Part I”, I made the case for why you need to be thinking about succession planning in your organization and gave you a framework for starting a succession plan. In this article, I will give you some specific actions you can take to start putting that succession plan into action.
Now that you have identified top talent you want to invest in as future leaders in your organization, what specific steps can you take to start the development of these future leaders.
First, create opportunities for these future leaders to learn more about leadership and what strengths, skills and experience will help prepare them for future leadership positions. What type of roles, responsibilities and programs can you put these future leaders in to start learning and developing those skills?
Do you have a need for a new program to be launched or re-invented? Last month, we thought deeply about skills and traits that are part of your company’s DNA. How do we teach these skills? Are there experts in our organization that model this? Are there people outside of the organization that have these skills that they can come and work with these leaders? Is there a task or program that you don’t have time to complete or launch on your own that you could task this potential future leader?
Once you identify that role or task, you need to be clear with your future leader what your expectations are. Who will ultimately be responsible for implementing or completing the task and what support and resources are you going to provide your future leader throughout this process. Can you truly delegate this entire task or role or do they need your approval along the way as they navigate the project or task? Do others in the organization know that you have delegated this task or role to the future leader and have you clarified for them what your role is in the project? Your future leader’s success will partially depend upon how you set them up for success.
In regards to this assignment, depending upon the hierarchy of your organization, you may need to be very clear with your supervisor what responsibilities are you delegating to the future leader and what responsibilities will continue to be yours.
A critical component in developing a new leader is providing them with coaching and mentoring. Schedule regular check-ins with them to review and discuss the task or program they are working on. Be clear with your intent about why you are assigning them this task or program. Be transparent with them that you see them as a future leader in your organization and that you would like to give them an opportunity to grow and develop some leadership skills and gain experience in the area of leadership. One of my favorite questions I recommend my clients to ask their direct reports is,”What do you need from me to be successful?”
Create a safe space for your future leaders to come to you with questions and put out ideas and ask for your input and suggestions. Remember, you want your future leaders to feel supported as they develop their leadership skills and start to grow into the type of leader you know they can be.
Finally, gather feedback, assess progress and evaluate the growth your future leaders are making and whether anything needs to be tweaked, scraped or added. You might find that a coaching technique or some advice you gave your future leaders did not have the result you were intending. Don’t repeat it, shift, adjust and ask your future leader for feedback on what they would like to see differently from you as their coach and mentor.
My final comment on succession planning is, don’t force a round peg in a square hole. If you don’t see the “right” future leader in your organization to step into a critical role, that is ok. Conduct a recruitment to bring someone in from outside the organization. Having the right person in the right seat on the bus is critical to carry on the vision and legacy of your organization. Investing in legacy leadership will keep you on the path to a successful future.