• A company should list competencies needed for critical positions to understand how an incoming employee can be successful.
• Other steps for a succession plan include setting strategic goals, assessing the workforce and developing an action plan.

Although all positions are important, some are more critical than others. Critical positions tend to have long learning curves, specialized (or institutionalized) knowledge, or essential relationships — all based upon achieving the organization’s long-term goals.

Once the company has identified critical positions, build an understanding of what it takes to be successful in each of them. List the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences (competencies) needed to do the job — now and in the future. Keep in mind that as the future unfolds, these criteria may change.

Determine the company strategic plan

Determine what the organization’s strategic plan is for the next three, five, and 10 years down the road. This will help identify the direction the organization plans to go in, and dictate what future needs the organization will have.

Identify and describe each critical position that is key to the organization’s success, at whatever level that may be. Identify the current incumbent in each position, and any immediate successor, if already identified.

List the attributes and competencies that are required (and desired) for each position — not necessarily those possessed by the current incumbent. Remember to think of it as filling a position, not replacing a specific individual.

Assess the current workforce

Develop an accurate assessment of the current workforce to know what the development needs are. Perform individual assessments to determine the current level of skills, education, and readiness of employees who can potentially take on future positions. Individual assessment approaches include using 360-degree feedback, executive/management assessments, performance data, assessment centers, and instrumentation (test results).

Identify high-potential employees, then determine who the best candidates are for each position. Do this for more than one potential position to see where an employee would best fit the organizational needs as well as the employee’s individual needs. One individual may be chosen for development for more than one position at an early stage of the process.

Ask employees what is wanted concerning each individual’s career path. This helps employers avoid spending time and money developing employees who have no interest in moving up the ladder or who have other career plans, or a complete career change in mind.

Develop high-potential employees with specific goals in mind. At the early stages, employees can receive general leadership development training, but at later stages of employee development when a particular position has been identified for which the person is being groomed, concentrate on developing that individual for the needs of that position. For example, if that position requires knowledge of international operations, part of the employee’s development may include a year spent abroad at an international location.

Create an action plan

Working with employees, create an action plan to develop competencies, reduce weaknesses, and improve strengths. The plan may include such action items as enrolling in formal classroom training, participating in a mentoring program, taking on temporary assignments, providing project leadership opportunities, rotating jobs within the department, and, of course, receiving coaching.

Document developmental accomplishments, and if the company has a formal succession plan policy, report to the succession committee.