WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — On the surface, the term “succession planning” seems pretty clearcut: it’s a plan for finding tomorrow’s leaders to take the place of current ones running a business. But if you adopt an approach that narrow, you’re missing the larger opportunity, according to Paul Fayad, managing partner at Positive Leader LLC. Fayad addressed the topic during a presentation at the Association for Linen Management’s recent annual educational conference.
Fayad explains that succession planning is much more than simply replacing personnel.
“Succession planning is finding a replacement for everything that we do,” he says. “We have to look at our organizations, our departments, and then we look at our individuals. It’s a strategic process that has to take place, more than anything else.”
For example, years ago, as technology changed the way offices operated, early adopters of new equipment and processes found themselves in a better position than those who didn’t embrace change. It’s this kind of strategic foresight, Fayad says, that helps companies continue to succeed.
BETTER SUCCESSION PLANNING
Fayad lists three essential phases for those who want to undertake a more thorough approach to succession management and planning. The first phase involves aligning strategic goals with the company’s human resources. To do this, operators need to sit down with their entire team and develop a clear vision for the future—specifically, where they think the business will be in three to five years.
“Some people say, ‘Well, I run a laundry. How many changes are going to take place?’ Well, you answer that question,” Fayad says. “Look at the changes in the machinery and the way production is done in a laundry operation today compared to 20 years ago, or compared to 10 years ago.”
Managers should also concentrate resources on the critical positions within the organization, according to Fayad, who adds that positions may need to be created for the future and efforts put toward filling them.
It’s important, too, to realize that succession planning should not focus on maintenance, but growth.
“Stability in business is done,” Fayad says. “You will either grow or you will shrink. There is no plateau anymore.”
The second essential phase for succession planning involves a thorough investigation of the current positions in the business, and discovery of whether they fit the vision created by the team. Are the right people in the right positions? Are they capable of becoming the right people in those positions? Developing potential successors means focusing on acquiring talent for the long term, according to Fayad.
Timely corporate-knowledge transfer should also be a goal, which means operators should be tracking corporate, organizational and department information to serve as a reference for future leadership.
“Hand that info over to the people of the future so they don’t make the same mistakes,” Fayad advises. “That transparency is so critical in succession.”
A concentrated effort toward hiring and talent development is the basis of the third phase, during which operators should be sure that anyone brought on board meets the needs of the organization, for the future even more than today. Employees will only succeed if leadership acknowledges its role in making that happen.
“You have a responsibility for the people who work for you and the potential people who work for you to make their dreams come true,” Fayad says.
Choosing the right training materials and tools is a big part of securing the desired level of success. Operators need to make sure the materials match the goals of the organization, Fayad says.
Check back Thursday for the conclusion!
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].