9.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


Define demands for destination and

feeder roles

Identify critical competencies, capabilities and

development experiences


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


Define demands for destination and

feeder roles

Identify critical competencies, capabilities and

development experiences


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


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”


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.)

Leadership & Management

9.career path & succession planning