How to develop the legacy team?

Regardless of the size of your business, you can run a business where no talented people are willing to move into key positions when current employees leave. Even the most successful companies can run off track without a solid succession plan in place.

What is the succession team development plan?

A succession plan is a strategy for identifying and developing future leaders at your company – not just at the senior level, but for key roles at all levels. It helps your business prepare for any contingencies by preparing promotion plans for high-potential employees.

Here are seven tips to start the succession planning process:

1. Be proactive with the plan

Sometimes, you’ll know in advance if a hard-to-replace team member is leaving the company – planned retirement is a prime example. But other times, you’ll be caught off guard by an employee’s sudden and potentially disorienting departure. That’s why you need a plan – now. First, consider all the key roles on your team and answer these two questions:

– What is the day-to-day impact of position X on our company or department?

– If position X is no longer available, how will that affect our operations?

2. Identify successor candidates

Once you’ve dealt with the “ripple” effect that the departure of some employees can cause, select team members who are likely to fill those positions. Ask yourself:

– If we were recruiting for position X internally, which employee would be the most potential candidate to step into this position?

– Do these candidates need training? And if so, what training?

While the successor for a role can be the next in the org chart. However, do not lose the opportunity for other promising employees. Look for people with the right skillset to thrive in higher positions, regardless of their current titles.

But don’t just assume and assume that you know everyone on your team, but see what their career goals are like. You may have several team members running for senior management roles, but who will be interested in the idea once it’s suggested to them? If you haven’t already, talk to these employees about how they see their career futures before making your choice of succession.

3. Let them know

In one-on-one meetings, explain to each person that they have been selected for more important positions. Believe it or not, there are no guarantees, and the situation may change due to the circumstances faced by the company or the successor candidates themselves.

4. Accelerate efforts to develop professional career

Ideally, you’ve invested in the professional growth of the people you choose to be your successors. Now the preparation needs to be ramped up. Job rotation is a good way to help your candidate gain more knowledge and experience. And connect them with mentors who can enhance their abilities in an important area of soft skills: The best leaders have strong communication skills as well as foster personal skills such as: empathy and diplomacy.

5. Try out your succession team development plan

Don’t wait until there’s a staffing crisis to check which employees are well-suited to take on a more senior role. There is a potential successor taking on some of the responsibilities of a manager – who is on vacation. Employees will gain valuable experience and appreciate this opportunity to shine. And you can assess the person may need additional training and development programs

6. Integrate succession planning into your recruitment strategy

Once you’ve identified potential employees as successors to key roles in your organization, be aware of any talent gaps they would leave if exploited. That can help you determine where to focus your future recruiting efforts.

7. Think of your own successor

If you decide to take advantage of a new opportunity or retire from the workforce, even your role may one day require succession. When planning succession for your organization, be sure to include your own location. Can you see your staff taking over your role one day? And what can you do starting now, to help that person prepare for the transition?

Your employees have no fixed assets – and changes to your roster are inevitable. You can’t always predict a valuable employee leaving the company. But through effective succession planning, you can pave the way for the continuity that’s so important to your business into the future.

Source: GEM Global translated from Robert Half source