Build a 6-area succession plan
- Leadership advisor Sandile Swana published a six-part succession-planning checklist that starts with naming business-critical roles and ranking internal candidates by readiness, performance, and potential rather than relying on informal backup plans. - The framework pairs talent reviews with 9-box grids, 360-degree feedback, and individual development plans built around the 70-20-10 model: stretch work, coaching, and formal training for each successor. - The approach mirrors standard succession practice that emphasizes critical-role mapping, development, and handover planning over emergency replacement lists. (gartner.com) (ccl.org)
A succession plan is a list of who can step in when a key leader leaves, and Sandile Swana laid out one in six parts. (gartner.com) (x.com) The first step is deciding which jobs are truly critical, not just senior. Gartner says succession planning starts by identifying and prioritizing roles whose vacancy would hit strategy or operations hardest. (gartner.com) The second step is mapping talent against those roles. That usually means rating employees on performance and potential with a 9-box grid, a matrix that plots both dimensions in one view. (aihr.com) (creately.com) Swana’s version adds 360-degree feedback, which pulls input from managers, peers, and direct reports instead of relying on one boss’s judgment. That gives a fuller read on whether a candidate can lead at a bigger scope. (amanet.org) Then comes the development plan. The 70-20-10 model breaks that into roughly 70% stretch assignments, 20% coaching and relationships, and 10% formal courses or training. (ccl.org) (702010institute.com) That matters because succession planning fails when names go on a chart but nobody gets prepared. Deloitte found 86% of leaders said succession was an urgent or important priority, but only 14% said they did it well. (deloitte.com) A workable plan also covers knowledge transfer. That means documenting decisions, relationships, and operating rhythms before a handoff, so a successor inherits more than a title. (aihr.com) (leadershipacademy.nhs.uk) Swana also includes transparency and contingency planning. In practice, that means people know how readiness is judged, and the organization has a short-term backup if the preferred successor is unavailable. (deloitte.com) (betterworks.com) For engineering managers trying to operate at director level, the shift is from naming a deputy to building a bench. The six-part model turns coverage, coaching, and handoff documents into a repeatable pipeline. (theorgchart.com) (monday.com)
