Developing a Succession

Plan
 Why Do It?
• Employees say company leadership is a key
contributor to job satisfaction, commitment and
intent to stay; especially true for top talent.
• Recent surveys state that employees value most
the leadership qualities of honesty and integrity.
• Only 1% of companies rate their succession
management plans as excellent; two-thirds rate
them as fair or worse.

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 Is this Urgent?
1. Have you lost high potential talent because they didn’t
know they were on the succession list?
2. If your executive team “got run over by a bus,” would
their replacements be able to step right in and be
productive?
3. Is anyone on the “top floors” or in the Boardroom
worried about the status of your “talent bench?”
4. What lost opportunity costs has your organization
incurred because it took a long time to replace a key
leader?

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Succession Planning – What it IS
What is Succession Planning?
A deliberate and systematic effort by an
organization to ensure leadership continuity in
key positions, retain and develop intellectual
and knowledge capital for the future, and
encourage individual advancement.

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 Succession Planning
• Ensures that employees are recruited and/or
developed to fill each key role.!
• Ensures that we operate effectively when
individuals occupying critical positions depart.
• May be used for managerial positions or
unique or hard-to fill roles.
• Align bench strength for replacing critical
positions.
 What is “Bench Strength”?
An assessment of the organization’s
preparedness to replace departing staff in
critical positions. Identifying people who are
ready to step into someone else’s shoes at the
appropriate time under the appropriate
circumstances with seamless transition.
Succession Planning – What it is Not
 Succession Planning is NOT
• A one time event
• Decided by an individual
• Used solely for individual career
advancement opportunities
• Reacting only when a position becomes open
• Line mangers relying solely on their own
knowledge/comfort with candidates.
 Replacement vs. Succession
• Reactive • Pro-Active
• Form of Risk • Planned Future
Management Development
• Substituting • Renewing
• Narrow Approach • Organized Alignment
• Restricted • Flexible

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 Traditional vs. Future
• Driven by an annual HR
procedures
• Entitlement focus –
bureaucratic/buddy
payback system - decided in
secret
• “The list” and identified
development actions, but
no accountability for
development
• Driven by current and
future business needs
• Successors determined by
an open process with
multiple inputs and factors
• Development plans,
development discussions
and coaching with both
candidate, management,
mentors, and others held
accountable for progress
and monitoring
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 Steps in the process
• Phase 1: Identify Key/Critical Positions
• Phase 2: Conduct Position Analysis
• Phase 3: Develop Succession Plan
• Phase 4: Monitor, Evaluate, Revise
 Phase 1: Identify Key/Critical Positions

• Key Contributor- in achieving the organization’s

mission or would hinder vital functions
• Specialized Leadership – The position requires
specialized or unique expertise
• Geographic – The position is the only one of its kind
in a particular location
• Vacancy- Position will be vacant due to
retirement/advancement in the organization/lateral
moves
 Phase 2: Conduct Position Analysis
• What are the external and internal factors
affecting this position?
• What competencies or skill sets will be
required?
• What are the gaps (competencies or skill sets
not possessed by the current staff)?
• What strategies will be used to address the
gaps?
 Phase 3: Develop Succession Plan
The succession plan is the culmination of Phases 1 and
2.
• Reviews of the individual positions and high turnover
job classes are rolled into one document and gaps
and strategies are formulated at an organizational or
unit level.
• The strategies to overcome the gaps are outlined to
include target completion dates, responsible parties
and required resources.
 Phase 4: Monitor, Evaluate, Revise
• Select evaluation period-typically reviewed
annually
• Be prepared to respond rapidly to unforseen
changes to the plan
• Status/Progress updates should be monitored
via the succession planning template and
EPA’s (depends what Holly choses here)
• (Is this a good point to go into tools and add
presentation of strategy?)
 Overview of Process and Tools

Executive
Manager Decision-Making Profiles & Dev. plans focus
Org.Strategic and Self Matrix Organization on both strengths
Initiatives, Mission Evaluations Chart And dev.areas
Vision & Values

Determine Gap
Identify Assess
between
Determine Key Leadership Organizational Monitor & Track
Actual Performance
Competencies Candidates & Risks Employee’s
& Behaviors vs.
For Leadership Assess Against and Develop Performance
Required
Competencies Strategies
Competencies

Process Process Implementation Process

Design Management

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What tools will we use?
Insert Laura or Holly’s Talent Profile or readiness Assessment
 Decision Making Matrix
SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER
(High Performance/Low Potential)
Gets all important things done
Is a pro in his/her position
Is seen as a leader in his/her area
Has reached potential
Action Required:
Continue developing in current position; is in
the right job
QUESTIONABLE PERFORMER
(Medium Performance/Low Potential)
Performance
Gets most important things done
Is very proficient in his/her current position
Is not seen as a leader in his/her area
Action Required:
Work on improving performance in current
job; may be candidate for lateral move
LOW PERFORMER
(Low Performance/Low Potential)
Isn’t getting most important things done
Difficulty performing to standards in his/her
current position
Action Required:
Consider reassignment to more appropriate
position; including lower level or exit option
STRONG PERFORMER
(High Performance/Med Potential)
Gets all important things done
May act at level of capability of one level
above current position
Acts as leader and role model
Exhibits many strengths or competencies
beyond current role
Some leadership development issues
Action Required:
Look for opportunity to display leadership in
current job
SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER
(Medium Performance/Medium Potential)
Gets most important things done
Shows signs of leadership and role modeling
Exhibits many FCC executive competencies
May be new in position
Action Required:
Leave in current job; continue developing
skills and improving performance
QUESTIONABLE PERFORMER
(Low Performance/Medium Potential)
Isn’t getting most important things done
Capable of making higher contribution
May be in wrong job or occupied with non-
work distraction
Action Required:
Focus on improving performance
Potential
STAR PERFORMER
(High Performance/High Potential)
Gets all important things done
Acts at a level of capability of at least one
level above current position
Acknowledged as a skilled leader and role
model
Exhibits many strengths or competencies
beyond current role
Has wide spread influence beyond current
role
Action Required:
Stretch assignments to prepare for larger role
STRONG PERFORMER
(Medium Performance/High Potential)
Gets most important things done
Acknowledged as a leader and role model
Exemplifies FCC executive competencies
Acts at level of capability of next level in the
organization
Action Required:
Focus on performance short term and
development opportunities long term
SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER
(Low Performance/High Potential)
Isn’t getting most important things done
Has been acknowledged as a team player and
role model
Has exemplified FCC executive competencies
May be in wrong job or occupied with non-
work distraction
Action Required:
Address root cause performance issue; worthy
of investment in development
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 Decision Making Matrix
SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER-B STRONG PERFORMER-A STAR PERFORMER-A
(High Performance/Low Potential) (High Performance/Med Potential) (High Performance/High Potential)

JF LA BR
EB TO
EK

QUESTIONABLE PERFORMER-C SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER-B STRONG PERFORMER-A

(Medium Performance/Low Potential) (Medium Performance/Medium Potential) (Medium Performance/High Potential)
Performance

DS EH TK
LG AG
TW
KS
DS

LOW PERFORMER-Mange up or QUESTIONABLE PERFORMER-C SOLID CITIZEN PERFORMER-B

out (Low Performance/Medium Potential) (Low Performance/High Potential)
(Low Performance/Low Potential)

Potential
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 Chart Results: Talent Summary
Functional Competencies Leadership Competencies

Adaptability

Organizatio
Alignment

Communi

Develops
Boundary
and Balance

Drive for

Influence

Self and
Participants

Technology

Results
Knowledge
Integration

Others
action
Cross
of Budget

Business
Manage-

Planning

Strategy
Methods

and
Market
ment

and
and

ecti

Per
ve

sp

n
Participant 1

Participant 2

Participant 3

Participant 4

Participant 5

Participant 6

Participant 7

Participant 8

Participant 9

Participant 10

Participant 11

Participant 12

Participant 13

This graphical representation is a comparison of each individual’s performance by competency (each row on the vertical axis
represents an individual's score).
- Exceeds Standards - At Standard - Needs Development

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 For thought
• It is an ongoing process where the players will
change continuously
• It is a strategic effort that utilizes inputs from
multiple sources
• The organizational direction may also change,
so be flexible
• Competencies need to be constantly
monitored to ensure they are measuring what
you want to measure
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 Refining the Program
• Prepare a program action plan
• Communicate the action plan
• Conduct Succession Planning meetings at
leadership level initially
• Training on Succession Planning

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