People who have historically performed well expect to be promoted. Many will have a sense of entitlement, but succession planning requires you to look forward to the future, not back to the past.
Succession planning is a process that requires careful consideration of the organization’s current and future personnel needs. It begins with taking inventory of your current talent pool so that you can determine how and when to transition people into new roles. People who have historically performed well expect to be promoted. Many will have a sense of entitlement, but succession planning requires you to look forward to the future, not back to the past. Some of your current all-stars may not be your future leaders. This creates challenges among employees who think they are shoe-ins for future leadership. You need to manage the situation carefully so that they continue to produce.
Select Based on Facts
Consider the case of Mr. E., the CEO of M&M Corp. He knows that his VP of Research and Development will be retiring in the next year and he is searching for a replacement. He is considering two managers who currently work in the R&D department: Genius George and Faux-in-the-know-Moe. He pulls their personnel files. Both men fit the job match pattern for the role, have solid resumes and said the right things during their interviews. Both of them have taken the Profiles Performance Indicator (PPI), which measures behavioral tendencies, and their results show very different behaviors. Mr. E. combines his knowledge of the men as employees with their assessment results in order to compare and contrast them.
Both of them have taken the Profiles Performance Indicator (PPI), which measures behavioral tendencies, and their results show very different behaviors.
Moe is an excellent executor. He focuses on the minutiae, yet his attention to detail creates a masterful end product. He is competitive, and once given a task and a deadline, he is motivated to produce something great. But he is also egocentrical, domineering and outspoken. As a result, he is often tasked with projects that do not require much interaction with other team members. Then there is George. George actually scored higher on Scale IV of the PPI than Moe. Scale IV measures one’s level of focus, carefulness and thoroughness. George also scored almost twice as high as Moe on Scale III, which measures sincerity, understanding and stability. This high score is reflected in his interactions with the team. He is often the strong, quiet force driving the team toward the goal. He is direct, but he is also sincerely interested in the team’s synergy.
Handle the Situation Diplomatically
Mr. E. decides that Moe is a valuable employee worth developing, but George is the best candidate for a leadership position. Mr. E. knows that Moe will expect to be considered for the promotion since he has tenure and is a producer. Mr. E. will have to handle the situation diplomatically and with sensitivity so that Moe understands that he is valued even though he was not selected. George will also need coaching and targeted training over the next year so that he can successfully lead the team.
Company leaders have long promoted employees with tenure, but a tenured employee is not always the best candidate.
As you can see from this scenario, the top performers in a particular department are not always the best candidates for leadership roles. In many cases, planning for the future is about staying aligned with the company’s strategy. Sometimes what made the company successful is not what will continue to make it successful in the future. Companies must constantly evolve in order to stay relevant. Company leaders have long promoted employees with tenure, but a tenured employee is not always the best candidate. In order to make the right decision when developing a succession plan for an individual, objective data is necessary to support the plan of action.
