The strategic process of identifying and developing internal candidates to fill key organizational roles to ensure business continuity and competent leadership in the face of role transitions, exits or unforeseen events. Succession planning is relevant to all companies, however large or small.
Barriers to Succession Planning
- Defense mechanisms: The succession planning process in organizations primarily fails because it triggers unconscious psychodynamic process of fear at whatever level it is attempted. The senior leaders fear that their position will go away and that their authority will be diluted should the succession planning process become effective, and a succession really emerges. Whereas consciously all seniors support and tend to comply with the process, unconsciously they indulge in actions that hinders the process.
- Bad Science: Often, even if there is spirited commitment to succession planning, the process adopted has flows. Typical flows are (a) poor alignment of competence to future business requirements (b) flawed process of assessment of potential talent (c) the development process being casual all-size-fits-all and non-scientific checklist of training programs & (d) poor development effectiveness evaluation and obvious corollary of the barriers of succession planning could also be a flawed potential assessment and leadership development process.
Overcoming the Barriers to Succession
It is appreciated across boards and executive teams that succession planning is critical for growth and sustainability of organizations. Yet it faces un-seen barriers that hinders its effectiveness. The barriers to succession planning have many faces and thus a multifaceted approach is essential to overcome them.
Firstly, the board and top management must realize the truth i.e. commitment drives succession. Top level executives must exhibit visible prioritization towards succession planning and contribute towards it by integrating smaller steps to succession into their daily leadership style behavior. It is essential that the top leadership makes the communication very clear about the significance of succession planning towards the organization’s growth and sustainability and thus align the juniors towards this objective.
Secondly, the top management must cultivate an organizational climate that values succession, development, and mentorship as crucial. This is best done by them when they communicate to people and attempt to allay the unconscious fears down the line about being replaced. Leaders must indulge in an encourage open and free discussions about future career pathing and role opportunities building trust and transparency.
Thirdly, addressing the various unconscious psychodynamic resistance to any change is of utmost importance. This is best achieved by demonstrating the direct beneficial outcomes of the succession planning process and here in, sharing success stories and appreciating exemplars works the best. Furthermore, it is seen that organizations that have seen successful succession planning are those organizations which involve their employees and make them parties to the concept, design, and implementation of the succession planning process. The reasons are obvious; involvement enhances engagement and thus reduces resistance.
Finally, technology and data analytics must be leveraged to make the succession planning process objective. Competency assessment tools, assessment development centers run by experts and not amateurs, rigorous progress tracking and never taking eye of the larger business context usually provides valuable insights to ensure that right roles have the right candidates identified and developed at the right time to make the organization future ready.
To conclude, overcoming the barriers towards succession planning necessitates top leaders to be strategic, inclusive systematic and technology oriented. These orientation principles when adhered to, the top management can ensure that the organization has an effective succession planning process that gives leadership and talent continuity at critical levels for organizational sustainability.
This blog has been written by Satyakki Bhattacharjee, Managing Partner at GrowthSqapes.