CAREER PATH & SUCCESSION PLANNING
CAREER PATH & SUCCESSION PLANNING
Overview Career Path
What is career?Def. (Oxford English Dictionary)A person’s course or progress through life. It also pertains to his occupational or profession that usually involves
special training or formal education and is considered to be a person’s lifework.
What is career development?Career development is an ongoing process of gaining knowledge and
improving skills that will help an individual to establish a career plan.
Career Paths
• Traditional career path• Network career path
• Lateral skill path• Dual career path
• Adding value to your career• Demotion
• Free agents (being own boss)
Traditional Career Path
Employee progresses vertically upward in organization from one specific job to the nextNot as viable a career path option today
Network Career Path
• Both vertical job sequence and horizontal opportunities
• Recognize experience interchangeable at certain levels and broad experience at one level needed before promotion to next level
Lateral Skill Path
• Lateral moves within company• Employee becomes revitalized
and finds new challenges• No pay or promotion involved• Opportunity to develop new
skills
Dual Career Path
Technical specialists contribute expertise without having to become managers
Adding Value to Retain Present Job
• Workers view themselves as independent contractors who must constantly improve their skills to continually add value to organization
• Workers need to develop own plan
Demotion
• A more realistic option today with limited promotional opportunities and the fast pace of technological change
• Senior employee can escape unwanted stress without being a failure
Free Agents
Take charge of all or part of career by being own boss or working for others in ways that fit particular needs or wants
Career Planning and Development Methods
• Manager/Employee Self-Service • Discussion with knowledgeable
individuals• Company material• Performance appraisal system• Workshops• Personal development plans
Developing Unique Segments of the Workforce
• Baby Boomers• Developing Generation X employees• Developing the new factory workers• Generation Y -- As Future Employees• Generation I -- As Future Employees
Baby Boomers
• People born between just after World War II through the mid-1960s
• Corporate downsizing in the 1980s and 1990s cast aside millions of baby boomers
• Now returning• Do not appear ready to retire
Generation X Employees
• Label affixed to the 40 million American workers born between the mid-1960s and late 1970
• Xers careers not founded on relationship with any one employer
The New Factory Worker
• Life on factory line requires more brains than brawn
• Laborers identifying skills and educational strengths and weaknesses and adaptability
Generation Y -- As Present and Future Employees
• People born between the late 1970s and early 1990s
• Never wound a watch, dialed a rotary phone, or plunked the keys of a manual typewriter
• Leading edge of generation that will be richest, smartest and savviest ever
• Often referred to as the echo boomers, and nexters
• Want a workplace that is both fun and rewarding
• Childhoods have been short-lived
Generation I -- As Future Employees
• Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corporation, referred to children born after 1994 as Generation I
• First generation to grow up with Internet• Internet will change Generation I’s world as
much as television transformed world after World War II
Overview Succesion Planning
“We put good people in big jobs before they are ready”.
Pepsi Co
What is succession planning?
• Systematic process for identifying, assessing and developing staff
• Vital to future success of an organization
• Strategic Planning for Human Capital
• Investment in your future leaders
• Succession Planning is proactive and not reactive
• Sustainability that creates motivated and capable employees
Key Issues:
• Support and backing of Senior Management
• Part of integrated HR process
• Identify skills needed by the organization
• Critical positions must be identified and included in the planning
• Identify high performers
• Identify soon to be retirees
• Identify skills, responsibilities and competencies
• Establish a system of communication
Assessment ofKey Positions Identification of
Key Talent
Assessment ofKey Talent
Generation ofDevelopment Plans
DevelopmentMonitoring & Review
KeyElements
Succession Planning: Key Elements
Succession Planning: Key Elements
– Assessment of Key Positions
– Identification of Key Talent
– Assessment of Key Talent
– Generation of Development Plans
– Development of Monitoring & Review
Highest Return… Full Job Change Focused On Development Needs
Job Restructuring Based On Development Needs
Mini Assignments
Cross Divisional Project Leadership Or Assignment
Focused Coaching & Counseling
Industry Representation
Industry Representation
Visits Accompanying Senior Executives
Formalized Education Programs
Full 360 Degree Feedback and Evaluation
Motivated Self Development
Seminars and Conferences
… Lowest Return
Development Toolbox
Toolbox for Succession Development
On the Job:– Job Enrichment– Special Projects– Committee Assignments– Task Force Participation– Giving Presentations– Leading a New Project– Temporary Job Assignments– Full Job Change
Toolbox for Succession Development
Learning From Others:– Working with a Mentor– Teaming with an Expert– 360 Feedback– Focused Interviews
Training & Education– Seminars and Conferences– Continuing Education– Cross Training
Semi-Annual Succession Planning Review
– Review of succession candidates and development plans in each organizational unit/area
– Report development progress and make necessary adjustments to the plan
– Orchestrate moves for the next 6 months
Pitfalls of Succession Planning– Underestimating or overlooking employees
– Not considering lateral moves
– Not offering training and development opportunities
– Not tailoring a developmental plan specifically to the position
– Not holding managers and leaders accountable
– Not sharing the data with employees
CAREER MANAGEMENT
Development process
Identify feeder and destination roles
Define demands for destination and feeder roles
Identify critical competencies, capabilities and development experiences
Career paths for destination roles
Create development tools
[PHASE 1] [PHASE 5][PHASE 4][PHASE 3][PHASE 2]
Business advisor Business partner Business owner
Enterprise leadership
Strategy development
Strategic implementation
6-monthsecondment 1
6-monthsecondment 2
Operational management/leadership
Job rotation 2
Operation focus Job rotation 1
Identify feeder and destination roles
Define demands for destination and
feeder roles
Identify critical competencies, capabilities and
development experiences
Create development tools
Career paths for mission critical roles
Career path processLe
vels
of w
ork
Enterprise Executive
Manager/ Senior
Specialist
Manager of Managers
Functional Executive
Supervisor/ Individual
ContributorFeeder role
Destination role
Pro
xim
ity to
fron
t lin
e
Leadership scope typically increases
Career path process
Succession planning
Self assessment – “realistic job preview”
Peer surveys
Rotational development moves
Development plans
Executive coaching
Leadership development
Identify feeder and destination roles
Define demands for destination and
feeder roles
Identify critical competencies, capabilities and
development experiences
Create development tools
Career paths for mission critical roles
Formal training
Key project assignments
Resource Development Guides
Mentoring
Executive sponsorship
Governance for long term development
Manager coaching discussion guide
Entryroles
Required work experiences two to four years
Rotational assignment options
six monthsDestination
roleContinued
developmentSenior executive
role
Illustrative career path
Applications engineer
Senior program manager
Marketing communication
s manager
Senior executive
manufacturing
Plant leaderCustomer support
manager Market
researchSegment line
leaderVP
GM product segment
General manager
Business intelligence
Contracting Director
SUCCESSION PLANNING & PROCESS
Elements of an Effective Succession Management Process*
* The Gallup Organization
Succession Management
Focus on individual development strategically aligned to future vision
Leadership development can ensure that the potential identified through succession process is realized
Result is long-term leadership sustainability through attraction, retention and development of talent
Succession Management
A key strategic initiativeCannot be done in isolation to other
cultural and people oriented initiatives in the organization
More than just “putting names in boxes”
Succession Management
Focus on integrating many elements of organization development
High level steps need to be customized for each organization
“Leadership Pool” approach is gaining in popularity (identifying all potential employees vs. positional replacements)
“There are no recipes or formulae, no checklists or advice that describe “reality”. There is only what we
create through our engagement with others and with events.”
(Margaret Wheatley,“Leadership and the New Science”)
DOCUMENT & IMPLEMENT SUCCESSION PLANS
SUCCESSION CANDIDATES
KEY POSITION TITLE ________________________
Backup Candidate Name: ______________________
Current Title: ________________________________
Div: ______________ Level of Readiness (Circle One):
Within 1 Yr. 1–3 Yrs. 3–5 Yrs.
__________________________________________________
Strengths for this position:
Developmental needs for this position:
Comments:
__________________________________________________
Date: FY:
Completed by: Division:
SUCCESSION PLAN SUMMARY
ORGANIZATION:_____________________
Key Position Title Incumbent Name
Position
Vulnerability
Succession Candidate
Names
Open in
< 1 Yr
Open in
1–3 Yrs
Open in
3 + Yrs
Ready in
< 1 Yr
Ready in
1–3 Yrs
Ready in
3 + Yrs
Overall Performance Summary: (Indicate recent performance including major accomplishments or performance issues.)
Key Strengths: (List 2 - 3. Indicate key technical or professional competencies, skills, or knowledge the person has.)
Development Needs: (List 2 or 3. Indicate key experiences, skills, or knowledge the person lacks in order to move to the next level.)
Development Actions:1. On The Job: (What new responsibilities do you plan to assign to help this person develop this year?)
EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
NAME: ________________ TITLE: ________________
2. Special Assignment: (What task force, projects, or special assignments will be given this year to aid development?)
3. Training: (What specific training or seminars are recommended this year for his/her development?)
Potential For Promotion:(Indicate this persons readiness to be promoted to the next organizational level.)
Ready now for the next level.
Ready in the next 24 months.
Ready in 2 to 3 years.
Recommended Next Position: (List the next assignment thatwould most benefit the individual in his/her development.)