Marie Knight for the Illinois Park and Recreation Association Skills Development Webinar Series

1. Failure to Plan Fails All
Winning the War on Talent Through Succession Planning
IPRA Webinar Series
Marie Knight
Director of Organizational Learning and Engagement
City of Huntington Beach

2. WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
 “We” are good at many things – succession planning is not one of
them
 Planned or surprise vacancies with no clear second string ready to
go weakens your programs and services
 Weakened programs and services makes us vulnerable
 WE ARE ESSENTIAL AND CAN’T AFFORD TO BE
VULNERABLE!

3. I’m next
I have been here the longest
I deserve it
I’m next
I guess we’ll let _________ try and see how it works
No one else is ready
No one else wants the job

4. And how is that working for you?
Are you going to be Proactive and fill your bench with
talent or Reactive and fill holes with the wrong
players?
Will you survive the Silver Tsunami?
Do you have a Talent Management Strategy?

5. WILL YOU SURVIVE THE
TSUNAMI?
 The Silver Tsunami is coming- 10,000 baby boomers retire
each day
 They are taking with them YEARS of experience
 The way to survive the silver tsunami -- the inevitable
retirement of some of the most experienced workers -- is to
plan ahead. Succession Planning is key

7. Making sure you have the RIGHT people, doing the
RIGHT thing, at the RIGHT time, for the RIGHT
reasons, for the RIGHT pay
Sounds easy right? - why is this so hard?

8. WHY DOES SUCCESSION PLANNING
NEED TO BE A KEY PART OF YOUR
TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY?
If you are not developing your rookies into a strong
utility bench, your team will tank
The bench in an organization mirrors that of a good
sports team, i.e., players who are in shape and
standing by to take over seamlessly should a key
player be injured.

9. In an organization, the bench is made up of mid-
level staff who are trained to assume positions or
take over critical tasks further up the ladder in the
event of either a crisis, retirements or a planned
change.
Staff also must know what positions are available
to them both laterally and vertically in the
organization and be encouraged to acquire the
skills necessary for desired positions.

10. BEFORE YOU CAN MANGE
YOUR TALENT YOU NEED TO
MANAGE THEIR
EXPECTATIONSAre you willing to put a stake in the ground?!
 Send a clear unmistakable message that promotions are based on
who is ready – merit, not who is next- seniority
 What are the behavioral expectations of your
Agency/Department/Division?

11. What does success look like to you?
What are the “hard no’s”?

12. BENEFITS OF SUCCESSION
PLANNING
 Motivates employees by creating growth opportunities
 Identifies skill gaps and talent development needs
 Adapts the organization to demographic and talent changes
 Transitions highly specialized skilled team members into key roles
 Preserves institutional knowledge.
 Seamless transitions and continuity of business operations

13. Leadership -they MUST be supportive of the efforts and
the guidelines, and the shifting of the paradigm
HR - a critical participant in the process
YOU! At every level you must take responsibility for
preparing for the organizational gaps

14. START WITH THREE ? FOR
EVERY POSITION Is this a central-significant-principal position vital to the success of the
organization, and if the role is suddenly vacant is the organization at risk?
 Is this position a logical next step in a succession ladder?
 Does the person currently occupying this position hold a good deal of
knowledge about processes or other institutional memory that will
effectively leave when the incumbent departs the job?
(Meaning….are the job procedures and outcomes are not fully
documented, and when they leave you are in deep $#%^(*&!)

15. 1.
2.
3.
4.

16.  What are the main skills, talents, abilities and behaviors you need anyone filling
this position to have for maximum success?
 _______________________________________________________________________
 _______________________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________________________

17. Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly

19. Central, Significant,
Principal Role
Starting
Position
Next Level
Opportunity
Next Level
Opportunity
Next Level
Opportunity
Another track

20. IDENTIFY YOUR FUTURE
WHO WILL BE ON THE
BENCH?
There may be more than one employee who has
demonstrated the knowledge, skills, potential, and
the interest to develop to a level of additional
responsibility.
Do you know who they are?

21. Look at your current team
Who is ready now?
 _______________________________________
 _______________________________________
 _______________________________________
 _______________________________________
Who should be ready in 3-5 years?
 _______________________________________
 _______________________________________
 _______________________________________
 _______________________________________

22. RIGHT
Demonstrated Commitment
Integrity
Passion
Social Awareness

23. ROI
Humility
Capacity to grow
AND THEY HAVE TOLD YOU THEY WANT TO
BE ON THE BENCH!

24. QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT BENCH
CANDIDATES
RATE THEM 1-5
 Do they step up and take on new responsibilities easily and without
complaining?
 Do they look for continued opportunities for learning?
 Does CAN spend more time in their vocabulary than CAN’T?
 Are they willing to try new things? Open to change?
 When they have a problem do they bring a solution or two?
 Do they give others credit and look for ways to make the team
shine?
 They do the right thing, even though it is the hardest thing to do?
 Are they pleasant, nice, kind, professional

26. Central, Significant,
Principal Role
Starting
Position
Next Level
Opportunity
Next Level
Opportunity
Next Level
Opportunity
S,T,A,B’s
S,T,A,B’s
S,T,A,B’s
S,T,A,B’s

27. 70% OF TRAINING IS ON
THE JOB
30% IS FORMAL Cross Training – what does that really mean?
 Buddy System
 You’re it!
 Clearly identify technical certifications, skills, abilities
 On your dime or their time?
 Identify in-house and outside training opportunities
 Negotiate % of upward mobility training time in ladder
positions
 Mentors/Partners

28.  Your current—and future—leaders need to know the teams’ goals
objectives, and the opportunities open to them.
 Foster an organizational culture of open dialogue with team
members regarding their career aspirations
 Deliver Clear Guidelines:
What Succession planning is and is not, merit based,
qualifications, selection process
 Transparency throughout your succession plan development can
prevent misinterpretation of its intended purpose.

29. EVERY
PUT ME IN COACH!

30. QUESTIONS?