1. Thoughts on
Performance and
Succession
Planning
PowerPoint slides created by Dr Mario Denton
marden@mweb.co.za

3. Important questions
q Who will rise in the organisation?
q Where will the managers of the
future come from?
q What kind of people will they be?
q What will their values be?
q What kind of education and training
should be used?

8. Two career
development myths
q Perform well in your current
job and the company will take
care of your future
q Development of subordinates
is one of a manager’s prime
responsibilities

9. You have an effective
Succession Planning
system if:
q You can fill positions without
delay and without going outside
q You can fill positions with
confidence
q Your choices prove to be quite
successful
q Talented individuals don’t quit
very often

10. Management
succession levels
q 80% from within
q Not longer than 5 to 7 years in key
position
q 1 ready-now back-ups for every key
position
q 2 pipeline (25 -35 years) for every
key position
q Development appraisal annually

11. Criteria for Top
Performers
q Always meet available objectives
q Do more than what is expected from them
q Overcome obstacles by ingenuity
q Are replaced with difficulty
q Are generally acknowledged as exceptional or
experts/authorities
q There will be a tendency for other
organisations to want to “steal” them

12. Criteria for Top
Performers

13. Accomplishment
analysis
q It is very difficult to get good data
from written appraisals
q Psychological tests have proven to
be of very limited value for high level
managerial positions
q Most organisations have a
deplorable lack of data on key
personnel

14. Accomplishments
q 1. List your accomplishments
q 2. Reasons for success
q 3. Unusual difficulties you had to
overcome
q 4. Things that you have learned
q 5. What did you particularly like
q 6. Negatives
q 7. What results have not come up to your
expectations and the reasons for this

15. Individual competencies and performance should be plotted in a matrix to provide crucial
unbiased inputs to organization planning and individual development decisions.
ORGANISATION PLANNING MATRIX
Targeted Plan multiple fast
Not plotted, new in
3 development to moves, ensure
job or just
build high flyer compensation is
promoted
Potential/Readiness for promotion
performance sufficient
NP 3B 3A
Valuable to company, High performing
Monitor closely, possible upward candidates, plan
2 perform or move movement. Build specific development
out of this block skills by managing actions
own development
2C 2B 2A
Valuable to company
and personalized
Take immediate Keep in place, but
interventions. Careful
action to move out of don’t let them clog
to keep in specific
1 this block the system
jobs
1C 1B 1A
C Low (1-3) B Medium (4-5) A High (6-7)
PERFORMANCE

16. The 7 point scale as per the performance management system will serve as basis for the performance definition
Levels of Performance
LEVEL C LEVEL B LEVEL A
Performance Level C1, C2 & C3 Performance Level B4 & B5 Performance Level A6 & A7
Level C1 : Unacceptable
 Obvious that performance is well below Level B4 : Competent Level A6 : Highly commendable
required standards.
 A number of corrective attempts and training  On standard performance.  Results achieved exceed most of the agreed
made by managers to improve performance  Has achieved all agreed objectives and objectives and standards.
with no positive results. standards of the job consistently.
 Disciplinary action should be considered.  Meets expectations in all critical performance
areas.
Level C2 : Needs substantial improvement Level A7 : Exceptional
 Few areas of competence in performance Level B5 : Commendable  Results achieved far exceed all expectations
(productivity is below the minimum required for the job.
standard as per contract).  Results exceed some of the agreed objectives
 Performance improvement program and and standards.
additional training required.
Level C3 : Developing
 Partially meets objectives and standards.
 Still developing in areas where performance
has not reached desired standards.
 Development and training plans required.

17. potential/readiness has been defined in terms of levels
Levels Of Potential/Readiness For Promotion
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
Potential/readiness rating: Potential/readiness rating: Potential/readiness rating:
1. Individual is already in a position that 1. Individual has potential/readiness to be 1. Individual has high
is higher than his or her promoted one management or potential/readiness and can be
potential/readiness. specialist level within one year or promoted to higher specialist or
longer. managerial position within 12
2. Individual has reached his/her months.
optimal potential/readiness and 2. Individual has high potential/readiness
would best be utilized on current and can be promoted to higher 2. Individual is ready for immediate
hierarchical level. specialist or managerial position within promotion.
one year or longer, but definite
development must take place.
DEFINITION POTENTIAL/READINESS FOR PROMOTION
Potential/readiness suggests a latent ability/capability to perform effectively, at least on the next higher organizational level, in the future.
3 Key areas must be considered when judging potential/readiness for promotion to the next hierarchical level: cognitive thinking, temperament and practicality.
• Cognitive thinking is the capacity to solve problems, think creatively and strategically, and to exercise judgement in making decisions. This implies having business
insight, vision and being customer orientated.
• Temperament includes the drive to achieve results, the resilience to overcome obstacles and the empathy to be able to work with and through people.
• Practicality is the capacity to plan complex tasks and projects and implement them using available resources. This also implies influencing others and making impact.