Succession Planning

How do you make the transition from one operating officer or high-profile leader to another without negatively affecting productivity, morale, and organizational success? The answer is simple: you need a succession plan. In fact, without a plan for filling the pipeline and having people ready to move into key positions at any time, you could be left out on a limb.

We help organizations get the right people in the right roles so that when succession happens, disruption is minimized. Our work includes:

• Aligning job roles with the long-term goals of the organization;
• Defining the knowledge and skills required of individuals in key positions;
• Conducting assessments of candidates;
• Providing coaching;
• Advising relevant parties of our findings, including written reports and action plans.

Case Study:
We helped a $200MM construction company and its family of businesses do succession planning. This involved working closely with owners to create an owner’s agenda and select and develop a new board of directors. We also did planning with the management team to create unique success factors for effective leadership within the organization, and to identify high-potential talent for filling the leadership pipeline. 

Specifically, we:

• Developed a management system with clear goals and measurable objectives, then aligned leadership to those objectives;
• Assessed and wrote development plans for mid- and upper-level managers;
• Provided maintenance consultation after the succession planning process was complete to ensure ongoing development and minimize backsliding. 

The entire process took two years from start to finish.