1. Barra Gwynn Enterprises (714) 271-0252
4174 Hillside Avenue Norco, CA 92860
WWW.BarraGwynn.com Page 1 of 2
December, 2012
Succession Planning – End Game Success
Businesses are founded to provide value and progress toward success. Success may be defined
as individually as each business, but share some general characteristics. These characteristics
generally follow paths such as: being bought out; going public; expanding niche market; growth
into adjacent markets; or fulfilling personal goals.
In all cases these End Games are firmly planted in the founder’s mind as they dedicate their
efforts toward each step along the way. As prosperity increases to allow emergence and
growth, the founder discovers they have to share responsibility and authority in order to
multiply the leadership leverage to maximize opportunities. In the generalized tiers of: Start-
up, Emerging, Growth and Maturity, businesses follow a pattern of developing their start, launch
and learn, refinement of their model and market and then integrating into the market place.
The emphasis starts on the leader to create the reality for the concept; the need to refine the
processes of sales and operations takes over; as processes and placement is secured focus is on
maximization; and results in the balanced organization fulfilling the end game of the enterprise.
In a growing organization, the number of areas of concern soon go exponential, at some time at
or above the founder’s ability to respond effectively, which marks the first necessary change in
organization to grow. Founder’s may grow into the needed leadership position which directs and
orchestrates. Forming teams; creating a responsive organization; operations fulfilling the voice
of the customer; organizationally performing across silos; developing future talent and
leadership; utilizing checks and balances to monitor activities; process management
documentation; and clarity of communications, are all integral foundation pieces to proceed
toward the End Game.
All of this assumes the Founder is able, capable and present to assure the foundation pieces are
set properly for expansion toward the End Game. Dedication to the End Game means they must
manage the risk of an irreplaceable, key or indispensable asset or figure is suddenly unavailable.
This is an organizational issue which extends from the Board Room through the Executive
Suites to the senior management. The founder (and the Board) wants the End Game, and needs
to oversee the continuous biggest risk to success – how to recover IF a Key person is suddenly
unavailable.
Organizational alignment and resilience are contingent upon the End Game to determine which
avenues lead toward success and which should be avoided. This guidance is necessary as the
path toward the End Game will be a gauntlet which determines the preparedness, viability and

2. Barra Gwynn Enterprises (714) 271-0252
4174 Hillside Avenue Norco, CA 92860
WWW.BarraGwynn.com Page 2 of 2
vitality that will continue to be challenged by real life impacts. The evolution of the
organization toward its survivorship and eventual success will be completely dependent upon
decisions and leadership as the organization is challenged and offered opportunities as it heads
toward the End Game.
Each End Game is by nature unique, but since ends for businesses are generally limited to:
dissolution; sale; or acquisition. All three of which require some End Game planning.
Strategically, the organization will cycle through emphasis and attention on particular aspects
of the business as the economy, market or competitive issues arise. These “normal cycle
adjustments” are great sources of the criteria necessary to prepare a Succession Plan that will
encompass the known vulnerabilities and solutions that allowed continuity. This is a basis for an
internal development program whose purpose is to: avoid repetitive mistakes; increase
capabilities and communication; create teaming and relationships throughout the organization;
and become a test ground of potential succession candidates. Planning the succession criteria
and possible candidates at the management level provides insight and capability to do so for the
Executives, and thereby even the Board for the success of the organization.
In the military they have formalized and defined the situations and staff which various leaders
need to accomplish their command. From Intelligence and Logistics to chain of command
exercises the general is fully staffed to allow maximum input and opinion. The biggest
advantage any leader can have is intelligence of: the situation; historical activities; the people
involved; their personalities; his logistics; his depth of resources; his advantages; and his
limitations. If these are complete a good leader can see success using the least of his
resources.
The Succession Plan should evolve from simple criteria and possible candidates to: criteria;
“trigger” events; organizational impact/change; policy support; selection process; announcement
process; transition method; roles and responsibilities changes; development programs;
mentoring support; and candidate selection.
Mallery (Mo) Aiken
Barra Gwynn Enterprises, LLC