All Terrain Thinking

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Successful Succession

Gwen Walsh, a senior consultant at Ouellette & Associates Consulting Inc., offers these succession-planning tips:

Do identify roles and responsibilities critical to attaining strategic and tactical business goals.

Don't limit your thinking to formal leadership positions; informal leaders may be critical to your business.

Do define the critical success factors and optimal profile for each position, including knowledge, experience, certifications, competencies and skills.

Don't limit your analysis to fit the profile of the person currently holding the position.

Do determine whether there's a logical progression path that can be defined for each target position.

Don't neglect to share the progression paths and let each person in your organization know where he fits into the big picture.

Do assess those currently in key positions, comparing their profiles with desired profiles and noting gaps.

Don't hesitate to grow your current leaders to optimize today's contributions and results.

Do identify those who aren't currently holding key positions but who have high potential.

Don't overlook a diamond in the rough.

Do work with high-potential candidates to create and execute a professional development plan, then track their progress and results.

Don't miss the opportunity to find next-generation leaders within your organization.

Do create a matrix of key positions, success factors, profiles, incumbents and heirs apparent, including strengths, challenges and anticipated timing to reach each desired profile.

Don't keep all of the information in your head; document it.

Do note key positions where there's no heir apparent and determine your immediate, short-term and long-term strategies should that key position become vacant tomorrow.

Don't assume that the unexpected happens only to other people.

Do be certain that you have identified your own replacement.

Don't limit your heir apparent to those on your team. Think outside the box; think diversity.

Do make leadership succession planning a dynamic process. Leverage it as you hire new talent, plan future strategies, look for resources in emergency situations, and raise the performance bar.

Don't create the plan as a one-time event and allow it to grow stale and outdated.

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