Help! I’ve got no successor
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You may not think it, but having a successor is important and valuable:
- It frees you up to be released for other things. If you’re seen as indispensable you might be un-promotable. If people know that there is someone else that could step into your position they will be much more supportive in freeing you up for other opportunities.
- It helps you to guide and shape your legacy. No-one lasts forever in a job, everybody moves on or leaves at some point. The real mark of success is your thinking and approach that remains, woven into the department, team or organisation.
- It’s good to know you’ve got backup in an emergency. If something happens – you fall sick or have a family emergency, knowing that someone is there to step in makes a huge difference to your peace of mind.
There are probably two main situations you might find yourself in.
- I want one but don’t have one. This is not an uncommon situation to be in. You recognise that you need a successor, but don’t feel there’s anyone appropriate for the role. In this case, most of your effort should be focused on discovering the right person.
If there’s genuinely no-one in your team, look in nearby teams. Are there people in other related teams who might be possibilities? Are there ways in which you could encourage other people to join your team from other areas? Is it possible to offer a project or secondment? You might find someone who’s very left of field who’s very appropriate.
If that doesn’t help identify a successor, consider broadening your search into high potential pools or graduate programmes in your organisation, or consider someone being a suitable successor a criteria for your next hire.
If none of these are possible – and there’s no-one who is likely to be able to succeed you – consider two things. Firstly, is it that you’ve set the bar unnecessarily high? Or can your role be split and given to a few different people? - You have a successor in mind, but there are barriers to them taking up the role. In this case, you need to think about the barrier that’s stopping them being a natural successor to you and how best to overcome it.
- Other people don’t see them as your successor. You think they’re brilliant, but maybe they don’t yet have credibility with the people who would award them the job. Give them some direct feedback about what’s creating that perception, and then work on helping them to gain positive visibility and reputation within the team or department.
- They are too inexperienced. Ask yourself how you can facilitate them to stretch themselves and gain greater experience while staying in the job they’re in. Can you give you give them project work or shadowing opportunities to build their experience?
- Is there a specific developmental issue they need to work on? If so, help them to work on it – and quickly! Sit down with them and pull together a development plan that very specifically works on the things that are holding them back.
- Someone else is higher on the list of succession. If there’s already an heir-apparent, but you think your candidate is a stronger fit, see if you can find the other person a different opportunity. Alternatively, work on ways that you can make it very clear that your preferred candidate is going to do a better job – for example setting them goals and activities that demonstrate their superiority for the role.
Don’t be afraid of putting a successor in place. This can be a positive thing that takes the pressure off and potentially opens you up for new opportunities.