By Ezra Luca
The systemic practice of preparing for the transfer of leadership roles is known as succession planning. This involves hiring new employees or training internal applicants to take over your role in the event that a departure will be taking place.
A large number of company executives and human resource professionals are of the opinion that succession planning is a complicated process reserved for the biggest firms with the most advanced organizational development departments. On the contrary, succession planning may be very beneficial to smaller firms with less opportunities and resource sat their disposal, that exist for the purpose of knowledge management programmed and formal, organized staff development.
Most organizations conduct succession planning via the HR department, which searches for internal or external candidates who will prove, in the long term, a great asset to the team and culture of the organization.
Greater preparedness for unforeseen events
Generally speaking, the chances of losing one of your company’s top executives unexpectedly are there and exist, however sad that might sound. Death, sickness, personal troubles, sudden resignation, and even incarceration may all lead to significant void in one of the most critical roles of your company. While you can not prepare for disasters, you can plan for how to deal with them. You will have to rush to keep the firm functioning if you do not have a succession plan. However, with a succession plan in place, you will have had a management system in place for replacing and backfilling even the most crucial leadership positions in your organization. Here, the disparity that exists between keeping your firm viable during difficult times and just sinking under due to crisis is well and truly highlighted.
Seamless, less expensive in-organization recruitment into vacant positions
Succession planning may assist in identifying personnel who have special qualities and skills that can help them advance to higher-level executive positions. The succession planning process may also assist identify an employee’s weak points and places where talent training might help enhance performance results.
Internal replacements understand the organization’s processes inside and out and are more suited to take on certain executive jobs, especially in organizations where expertise is specific. When making changes to the organizational structure, the requirement for available replacements enables senior management in making alterations without being hampered by a shortage of competent individuals.
Tackles the issue of miscommunication
When it comes time to execute the succession plan, a well-crafted succession plan that clearly indicates who might just ascend if the CEO/senior leader resigns or a senior post becomes empty leaves no space for uncertainty, the members of the board not operating on the same wavelength in terms of ideas and decisions to be made or unneeded upheaval.
A succession plan may also assist handle disruptive workplace politics even before a new leader takes over if management is diligent. This, once again, aids the new leader’s effectiveness and ensures that the organization’s culture and environment are not negatively influenced by a change in leadership.
