WHo Should LEad Your OrGanization?

Do you know WHO your next leaders should be? Are you looking around and thinking "No one here has the skills and abilities to take over?"
This is the situation facing MANY Canadian businesses and organizations. Current managers, owners, and leaders are tired and wanting to prepare for retirement BUT they don't feel there is anyone ready to replace them. Here are six steps you can take to start effectively succession planning NOW!

1-Create Job Profiles to determine what skills and experience you need
This is often the step organizations SKIP. Dust off your job descriptions and take a look at them. If current leaders/managers have been in the positions a LONG time you may not even have a current job description. Additionally, the job description may have been written or designed to describe the PERSON in the role, instead of the KSA's NEEDED for the role. Start by asking yourself these questions:

• How does this role fit our organizational goals and vision? (it may be that the role itself needs to be re-designed and re-created before being reposted)
• What skills/experience is our current leadership team MISSING that this role could help to fill? (this will help your team move from where they are currently to what they NEED to become) 
• What are similar job descriptions now looking for? (research current trends, experience, educational options) 

2-Post Your Job Descriptions for EVERYONE in the organization to view
So often job descriptions for upper management positions are hidden or only posted when the job becomes available. Allowing current employees the opportunity to view the job descriptions ahead of time enables them to start their own succession planning. It also allows them to have informed conversations with their current supervisors to discuss potential training, and other opportunities that would enable them to "build their resume". The next step is to:

• create an electronic HR folder with all job descriptions and encourage employees to review them
• share with employees news about upcoming retirements, full time positions, and new projects they may be able to get involved in (the earlier you can share the news the better...allowing people to get engaged, learn more, and prepare) 

3-Offer Mentorship Training for current leaders and managers 
Mentorship can be a wonderful opportunity for leaders to pass on their wisdom, insight and corporate knowledge to others. However, before you encourage job shadowing or formal mentorship programs you need to ensure the process is set up for success.

• Ensure current managers feel engaged and don't feel threatened when people come around asking about their positions.​​​
• Current incumbents also need to develop a sound understanding of "similarity bias"....Too often organizations select people to move into management that are SIMILAR to themselves. Also known as the "mini me complex" leaders often look to replace themselves with people that think, act, and were trained similar to themselves. Mentorship can allow leaders to see the value new employees bring by inviting them to share their own unique insights and diverse experiences.
• Utilize your organizational goals, action plans, and new job descriptions to emphasize the skills and assets you are looking for. Encourage engaging conversations, brainstorming sessions, and opportunities for employees to provide feedback and new ideas.

4-Performance Evaluations can become Goal Setting Conversations 
Too often "performance evaluations" are only done when there are performance concerns. You are missing out on GREAT opportunities to meet with ambitious, goal-oriented employees who may have an interest in moving up within your organization. New employees want to feel inspired, engaged, and valued. Performance discussions provide managers and leaders the chance to learn more about their employees, what their goals are, and even ideas they may have for the business.

• Meet with newly hired employees 6-8 months after their starting date. Ask them about their observations of the organization and ideas they have for improvements and potential solutions (the key is to really listen and recognize the value they bring. Identify employees early on who are innovative, goal driven, and showing an invested interest in the business....)
• Create a schedule to meet with employees every 6 months and STICK TO IT. Too often employees leave organizations because they are feeling uninspired, bored, or disengaged. Yet these are the employees that could have potentially been your next managers and leaders.

5-Start developing leaders EARLY
It is NEVER too early to start providing employees with leadership skills and training. Even if an employee is not in the formal role of supervisor, providing them with insight on the roles and responsibilities of a leader will benefit your organization. It allows them to develop a better understanding of all the issues that need to be considered in decision-making and strategic goal setting.  Additionally, these same employees can then become your acting supervisors, trainers, team leads, and project managers. 

• Training and Development Courses afford employees the chance to develop and utilize leadership skills (coaching a new employee requires many of the same skills they will later need to coach a whole team)
• Supervisory and Leadership Training, Workshops and Conferences enable employees to learn more about the roles and needed skills (offer them to everyone NOT just those already in the role) 

6-Step back and let them take the LEAD
This may be the hardest part... but you need to provide people with the opportunity to try out and practice their skills. You need to RESTRAIN yourself from the temptation to micromanage, criticize or re-do everything when you return. Allow them to have some autonomy, do things slightly differently than you may have, but still get the needed results! 

• Create acting manager positions that allow for weekend, holiday, off hour coverage (this allows you to slowly let go of the reins, and builds their confidence and rapport with others)
• Create project leads, team leads and temporary supervisory positions (allows you to see them in action, and builds their needed KSA's) 
• Provide a chance for feedback and ability to debrief and expand in their development
• Write down your wisdom and corporate knowledge. There are so many things you do and know .... create a way that people can seek out the answers without having to always rely on you (develop policies, procedural checklists, question and answer sheets, etc) 

JUST LIKE A TREE, organizations need to have great roots, and many branches to continue to reach higher, withstand winds,  and endure turmoil.  New growth, different options, and a strong base are key to business success. Developing and investing in a well thought out, multi faceted succession plan will help to ensure you are creating the type of "organizational tree" that can continue to grow and prosper long after you have left. 

If you are interested in learning more about the author, her book Knowing Who You Lead, and the workshops she runs for leaders and businesses, please visit her website
www.inspiringorganizationalgrowth.co/home