Succession Planning for Managers: Because Your Team Deserves a Bold Future, Not a Panic Button

When managers fail to think ahead and execute or collaborate on succession planning effectively, organizations risk challenges that undermine growth and stability. Succession planning isn’t just about filling leadership roles—it’s about identifying gaps across all roles to ensure long-term success.

Managers have the strongest relational influence on a company's future talent.

Succession planning is part of the staffing function of management. It is one of the five functions for effective management. 

In the absence of comprehensive training, managers are prone to key management pitfalls. Here are some of the management pitfalls and how to mitigate them:

• Relying on a Single Successor: Putting all your eggs in one basket can be risky. Relying on one person to step into a leadership role can create problems if that person is unavailable or unfit when the time comes. Instead, have multiple candidates identified and prepared to take on key roles.

• Neglecting to Develop Skills Beyond Technical Expertise: It’s easy to focus on technical skills or job-specific knowledge when selecting potential leaders. However, successful leadership requires emotional intelligence, communication skills, and the ability to inspire and manage others. Make sure to assess these qualities during the succession planning process.

• Overlooking the Importance of Diversity: Many managers focus too narrowly on traditional leadership traits or similar backgrounds for potential successors. Failing to consider diversity in succession planning can limit perspectives and innovation. Diversity of thought, experience, and leadership style should be an integral part of the process. 

• Waiting Too Long to Plan: Some managers wait until a leadership position is about to become vacant before beginning to think about succession. This reactive approach is too late. Succession planning should be an ongoing process, continuously evaluating and preparing future leaders to ensure a smooth transition.

• Failing to Align Succession Plans with Company Goals: A succession plan should align with the organization’s long-term strategic objectives. Managers sometimes create plans in isolation without considering how potential successors will support the company’s future growth. Make sure to integrate leadership development with business goals.

• Ignoring Employee Input: Managers sometimes overlook the importance of engaging current employees in the succession process. By ignoring feedback and failing to involve team members, managers risk missing out on valuable insights about future leaders and their capabilities.

Leadership can support managers in developing succession planning skills by taking a proactive, hands-on approach: 

• Provide Training and Development: Offer targeted training sessions that focus on the key elements of succession planning, such as identifying potential leaders, assessing skills, and creating development plans. Providing both formal and informal learning opportunities ensures managers have the knowledge and tools they need.

• Foster a Culture of Mentorship: Encourage managers to mentor potential successors within their teams. This hands-on experience not only helps with skill development but also prepares future leaders for greater responsibility. Mentorship also helps managers practice their coaching and leadership development abilities.

• Equip with Tools and Resources: Give managers access to succession planning frameworks, templates, and resources that guide them through the process. Having structured tools makes it easier for managers to identify gaps, track progress, and implement plans effectively.

• Set Clear Expectations and Align Goals: Ensure managers understand that succession planning is a key part of their role, not just HR’s. Set clear expectations and align succession planning efforts with the company’s long-term strategy. When managers see how their efforts contribute to the overall success of the organization, they are more motivated to prioritize succession planning.

• Encourage Cross-Department Collaboration: Leadership can encourage collaboration between departments and teams to share insights about talent development and identify high-potential individuals. This ensures that succession planning is not siloed but integrated across the organization.

• Create a Feedback Loop: Provide managers with regular feedback on their succession planning efforts. This feedback can come from leadership, peers, or direct reports, helping managers refine their approach, identify areas for improvement, and build their confidence in executing the plan.

Leadership should model succession planning behaviors by actively developing their own potential successors. When leaders show commitment to succession planning, it reinforces its importance to the entire organization.

By actively supporting managers in these ways and ensuring that succession planning isn’t left solely to HR, leadership can ensure it becomes a core competency for managers, driving long-term success and organizational stability.

If your company could benefit from support in development and gaining insights into succession planning, we invite you to explore our management programs.

Reach out to us at info@managementcues.org to learn more! Our training programs equip managers to succession plan alongside their HR partners and leadership team making continuity that much more achievable.