Suggested steps for the effective design and implementation of a pilot programme for succession planning. The plan will need to remain flexible to meet the requirements of all involved.

1. Convene a steering committee for the pilot - this should include a diverse range of employees;
    
2. Conduct individual interviews with a range of senior managers to get determine their views about the future - the needs of your organisation and the changing business environment.
   • What kind of education, experience, cross training, should people have?
   • What skills and competencies will be needed?
   • Explain the model for succession planning and get their input on the model and the pilot;
      
3. Summarise the data and conduct a senior management workshop to resolve unclear areas.
   
   The key outcome needed is the definition of the future and the required competencies for key positions in the organisation.
   
   Clarify and discuss the pilot and the ultimate objective of developing a succession plan.
   
   Select a pilot location.
    
4. Summarise the results of the senior management session and develop an introductory session for all employees at the pilot location. This session should first be presented to the current managers in the participating location, to ensure that they are familiar with the pilot, its purposes, and how it will affect them and their staff.
   
   Following the session for managers, the introductory session should be presented to all staff in order to:
   • Introduce the employees to the new standards for succession planning;
   • Give employees an opportunity to ask questions and raise any issues of concern;
   • Explain the pilot project and the benefits of participating in it;
   • Establish employees interested in participating.
      
5. Work with the management group to develop a draft "succession pool" for key positions.
    
6. Conducting the pilot
   The pilot should consist of 4 one-day workshops conducted over a 4 month period. It is suggested that the workshops be conducted separately for different groups of staff, for example, professional and administration, due to the fact that the two groups are likely to have different issues and concerns. The workshops should consist of 12-15 participants and should be highly interactive.
   • Session 1:
     Evaluate employees' understanding of and attitudes towards career development as it is now. Include information about their desire to progress as well as how likely they feel progression possibilities are for them. This evaluation would be carried out via a survey and follow-up focus groups. Additional topics that could be covered are:
     • Evaluation of current status of career development;
     • The importance of taking responsibility for their own career development;
     • Requirements for progression within their organisation;
     • What the new requirements (if any) are likely to be, for example, education, qualifications, specific experience etc;
     • What are the qualities that help people progress?
   • Session 2: Openness to change and personal development
     Understanding:
     • The importance of knowing your own talents, strengths, and weaknesses;
     • Career stallers and stoppers;
     • How to rate your own promotability.
   • Session 3: Developing your own individual development plan
     Understanding:
     • Personal long-term career goals?
     • Some appropriate "next moves" for me?
     • What needs to be done to achieve these "next moves"? In terms of education, experience, relocation, training, skill?
     • How to developing the individual development plan. This should be followed up with:
     • Homework: reality checking your individual development plan;
     • Beginning work on the plan.
   • Session 4: Succession planning
     • Feedback from homework assignments (i.e. reality checking, beginning work). What if we don't agree with others' assessment of us?
     • Where should I be on the succession plan?
        
7. Prepare records of the workshop participants' individual development plans including:
   • Position(s) aspired to;
   • Readiness for the position(s);
   • Goals, tasks achieved during the pilot study;
   • Goals, tasks to be achieved over the next 12 months.
      
8. Creating the organisational succession plan.
   • Work with a diverse team of managers (ensure 50% females represented, as well as other targeted groups).
   • Review the concept of succession planning. What is a succession plan?
   • Present the succession list developed by workshop participants (this would include their developmental needs).
   • Managers to work together to develop an organisational succession plan including validation of the workshop participants input. They will confirm the employee's position on the succession plan - this should be done by identifying key positions, potential successors, an assessment of readiness (in terms of a timeframe, now, one year, two years etc...) and the identification of developmental needs. There may be additional employees who they feel should be on the succession plan, even though the employees did not participate in the workshop. If this is the case, it is important to confirm that the employee is interested in promotion, and to get an assessment of their qualifications.
      
9. Feedback to workshop participants
   One-to-one feedback should be given to the workshop participants. If their input to the succession plan has been validated, they need to know that they are on the succession plan; and what that means and doesn't mean, for example, it doesn't automatically mean that they will get the next promotion! If the committee did not agree with the employee's self-assessment, it needs to be made quite clear why that is the case and what actions the employee could take to deal with any perceived skills or experience "gaps".
    
10. Final project evaluation.

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