Performance-Based Succession Planning

Developing direct reports is the responsibility of each and every supervisor. Succession planning provides a direct and easy-to-follow model for strategic talent management. Viewing employee development from the organizational perspective of succession planning helps to keep talent management activities focused and efficient. When we further impose the managers’ need for performance management onto the process, we add an incentive for full participation. Performance-based succession planning puts the responsibility for developing leaders where it belongs—on everyone’s shoulders. Every leader is accountable for helping develop subsequent generations of leaders. Every employee who wants to advance in the organization is a willing participant in the process. Unfortunately, an alarming trend in succession planning has recently emerged. In an effort to quickly head off the damage caused by the current exodus of retiring executives, many organizations are creating pods of intense succession-planning activity. The process has been scaled down into an event and has been put into the hands of a few overwhelmed designated specialists with full accountability, but no real authority. This has led to pockets of activity that are not coordinated. Management development programs are not funneling employees into executive development programs because they are operating with different talent models and technologies. High-potential employees are not recognized because only current job-specific information is captured and closely held by immediate supervisors. A more serious consequence of this centralized accountability is that succession planning is now viewed as an “extra-curricular” activity by managers. All managers have to do is fill out a few forms about direct-report readiness and they can then return to their performance-based reality. This minimal investment by managers has all the appeal of a magic diet pill, as well as all the fictional results and unfortunate side effects.

There is no magic pill for succession planning. There is no escaping the essential talent management components of job competencies, individual competencies, developmental opportunities, organizational personality, individual personality and motivation. There are, fortunately, some processes that are more direct and easy to follow than others. The designated specialists can be our guides, but they cannot absorb the responsibility for successful execution of succession planning processes. What follows are some of the best practices of these specialists organized by some frequently asked questions.