3 ways to improve succession planning in your organization

For many employers, risk management includes succession planning. One goal is to avoid or reduce business interruptions and maintain momentum toward achieving your objectives. Another goal is to avoid the unnecessary loss of knowledge and experience occurring when valuable personnel depart suddenly and unexpectedly. Planning for the next generation of leaders puts you a step ahead. Yet too many organizations focus only on the C-suite leaders and ignore the greater wealth of information and experience lost every year because of exits by the rank and file. Here are three things you can do to improve your approach.

Identify and engage strong rank-and-file employees

Employees who have "something extra" can be trained and developed to move into new positions. The identification process should occur across the organization.

You should charge every supervisor or manager with the responsibility to build a strong bench. Reinforce the "drafting" process with incentives if necessary. It shouldn't be difficult to make the case that a little advanced preparation saves time in the long run.

Every manager knows the woes of having to stand in for an employee who is absent or departs unexpectedly. Leaders need to lead rather than spending their time filling in during absences, both planned and unplanned.

Develop and cross-train the replacements

Challenge key employees by letting them know a plan is in place for them to "move up." Prioritize opportunities for personnel to shadow or cross-train with someone more senior.