Managing the ongoing challenges of succession planning
For those overseeing the process, succession poses numerous challenges, even after the candidate assumes the role.
Our group of talent and people leaders encountered three significant challenges: retaining unsuccessful candidates, handling unexpected departures, and facilitating the integration and acceptance of a new successor.
Retaining unsuccessful candidates
“We make sure they are rewarded for their contribution, to mitigate them leaving,” one People Director said. For a large majority of our interviewees, this took the form of other leadership development programmes and education. “We engage them through structured performance and development with quarterly reviews and a development plan,” one Chief HR Officer told us. “We encourage and support unsuccessful candidates to undertake external postgraduate programmes,” another said. While another offered a “mindful leader programme.” External coaching engagement was a theme with most of those interviewed.
Managing ‘sooner than expected’ transitions
In situations where the incumbent departs before their successor is deemed ready, there is a critical phase where the candidate requires support to assume the role. HR leaders told us they provided ongoing feedback and coaching to ensure the candidate could take on the new role, and to mitigate them from leaving.
Integrating a new successor
Non-acceptance by peers and preconceived notions regarding the new successor’s capabilities can impact productivity, teamwork, and collaboration once they assume the role. Engaging managers and providing mentors for onboarding support were commonly used to mitigate and manage these types of inter-team issues. Conversely, HR leaders also mentioned the inability to distinguish themselves as a leader in their new role. “When they go from being part of the gang, to leading the gang, but still behave as if they’re part of the gang.” Coaching and mentoring can also help leaders establish themselves within the team they were previously part of.