Business Succession Planning For Dummies

The fast and easy way to get a handle on business succession planning

Need to cultivate and retain existing employees for leadership roles in the future? Easy. In plain English, this friendly guide shows managers and human resources staff how to develop a working succession plan and train personnel for a more seamless transition — all while saving time, money, knowledge, and clients by hiring from within.

Sounds like a plan — grasp the importance of having a well–developed succession plan — and the consequences of not having one — and find the plan that′s best for your business

Full steam ahead — build your succession–planning team, establish the specific goals of your plan, implement your plan, and handle obstacles along the way

It′s all in the details — find out how to determine the competencies needed for key positions and develop the skills of potential successors within your organization

Keep the ball rolling — discover how to evaluate and maintain a succession plan that adapts to changes in your organization, the marketplace, the economy, and society at large

Open the book and find:

The core components of a succession plan

Why succession planning matters

Advice on pinpointing the right plan for your organization

How to plan for unexpected and predictable departures

Ways to cope with people and process obstacles

Tips for identifying, preparing, and training internal talent

How to make yours a smooth transition

Learn to:

Develop a smooth working succession plan

Retain and train personnel for a seamless transition

Save time, money, knowledge, and clients by hiring from within

Part I: What Is a Succession Plan, and Why Do You Need One? 5

Chapter 1: Sowing the Seeds for Long–Term Success 7

Chapter 2: Why Succession Planning Matters 19

Chapter 3: Pinpointing the Right Type of Plan for Your Organization 33

Part II: Creating a Plan and Putting It into Action 47

Chapter 4: Preparing the Plan: Six Steps to Success(ion) 49

Chapter 5: Implementing the Plan 67

Chapter 6: Evaluating the Plan’s Implementation 81

Chapter 7: Overcoming Obstacles in Implementing Your Plan 95

Part III: Diving Deeper into Succession Planning 113

Chapter 8: Covering Key Positions in Your Succession Plan 115

Chapter 9: Figuring Out What You Need in a Successor 129

Chapter 10: Identifying and Developing Successors within Your Organization 147

Chapter 11: Aiming for a Smooth Transition 163

Part IV: Keeping the Succession Ball Rolling 181

Chapter 12: Making Great Exits 183

Chapter 13: Maintaining Your Plan in Today′s Changing Workplace 195

Part V: The Part of Tens 213

Chapter 14: Ten Mistakes That Sabotage Succession Plans 215

Chapter 15: Ten Ways to Keep Your Succession Plan Alive 223

Index 231

Arnie Dahlke is an independent organizational consultant, assisting both private (for–profit and nonprofit) and public organizations. His clients include Chevrolet, Saturn, Coca–Cola, Gelson′s Markets, and Northgate Markets. He provides courses and seminars across the country for all levels of learners.