Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Replaceable You

Could someone replace you? Hope so! If you do not have successors groomed to take your place, senior management may be reluctant to promote you. Often they don't want to create problems from your moving into another role.

Succession planning should be more than names on a dusty chart and occasional training opportunities. Subordinates who are good at their jobs should be given the chance to manage a special project or undertake some of your managerial work. Your mentoring and supervision will help them build the skills to move into management.

Succession planning is an ongoing process, because everyone in the office has their personal plans that may disrupt the paper plans - promotion elsewhere, unexpected dislike of management responsibilities, new job offer, family crisis, move to another city, etc. Also, you need to continually assess the planned successor's real ability to act in the managerial role.

The big test for how well you have developed successors is to go on vacation and to not contact the office. This scenario - scary for many - is actually part of the training of subordinates. Your acting manager must be exposed to the realities of decision-making within the relatively soft environment of this temporary assignment. Your boss needs to see that you really have someone (or preferably several people) who could step into your shoes.

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