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Best Practices in succession planning

Succession planning ensures that organizations are prepared for anticipated leadership transitions and can better navigate unexpected ones.

Establishing your internal bench of future leaders, growing them through talent development, and having a clearly communicated plan for opportunities, growth, and processes ensures that transitions will happen smoothly, equitably, and with staff buy-in.

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plandesignimplement & monitor
implement & monitor
Step
1

Track Progress

A thoughtful succession plan tracks both the progress of the plan itself and how the internal bench of candidates is developing. Leaders should understand who is applying for and being funneled into leadership opportunities, and monitor the progress of those individuals. Opportunities to develop leadership skills should be integrated into Talent Development and Coaching practices like 70-20-10 plans.

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DEIA

DEIA Callout

Consider what biases and potential barriers may influence who is selected for leadership development and prevent staff from applying for leadership opportunities.
implement & monitor
Step
2

Schedule Equity Pauses

During the process of building your talent pipeline, schedule regular equity pauses to review individuals identified as having leadership potential and those supporting talent development. Use this time to reflect on how identity may influence participation in leadership development and the support potential leaders receive. Succession planning is an ongoing process and can be adjusted before any anticipated transitions.

RESOURCES

DEIA

DEIA Callout

Ensuring that all staff, especially BIPOC staff, have access to mentoring and leadership opportunities, and establish guidance for equity pauses to evaluate these factors.
implement & monitor
Step
3

Assess Success Metrics

When successions occur, measure the success of succession planning both during the transition to a new team member and after they have assumed their role, evaluating the speed of identifying an internal candidate for the role, the ease of the transition for both the team and the new leader, and staff perceptions of the change. Adjust your succession strategy and plan as needed.
DEIA

DEIA Callout

Implement practices to mitigate bias during talent development and new leader evaluations, and ensure new leaders clearly understand the criteria on which they will be assessed.

EdFuel can design succession planning systems and processes for you.

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