Planning for leadership succession can provide increased continuity of strategic focus and enable your organization to avoid unnecessary turbulence during times of leadership transition. In these fiscally uncertain times, loss of district productivity due to problems in leadership turnover can be especially problematic. Districts need planning tools and development processes to maximize existing talent and cultivate the necessary leadership skills to grow student achievement and build the overall performance capacity of the organization.
Many districts suffer from dealing with leadership vacancies in a reactive manner, where replacement planning may not begin until the vacancy appears. This approach is costly, both in terms of additional time required and the potential lack of continuity of key initiatives underway. Succession planning calls for a proactive approach to leadership succession, using tools and techniques to develop leaders intentionally for specific career tracks and required skill areas. Succession planning provides a structure to “grow your own” talent, but also provides the managerial tools and metrics to manage outside hiring when desired.
Using DMC’s eight-step succession planning process, shown below, districts can create a systemic approach for growing and managing their leadership pipeline. The process begins with some foundational planning components, including communications and standard-setting, and then progresses through several phases of analysis and planning to force districts to rethink elements of their human capital operations. Each stage of the process contains techniques, tools, and suggested metrics for ongoing management. Readers can download a more in-depth overview here.
Set the Stage
Plan for the Future
Assess Current Leadership Requirements
Conduct Effective Evaluations
Assess Leaders’ Mobility
Develop Leaders to Fill the Gap
Create Individual Transition Plans
(Re)Assess Your Program
As you think about succession planning, consider setting clear priorities that articulate leadership characteristics most necessary to carry out the beliefs, mission, and student achievement goals of your district. Evaluate your current goals and set specific outcomes expectations and timing to expedite and improve decision-making around key leadership succession events. Assess the current bench strength of your organization for key leadership positions. Where is the organization most vulnerable? Evaluate leaders in accordance with these priorities and create development plans for key leaders to grow and pursue increased responsibility within the district. Create transition plans with as much overlap and lead-time as possible. Finally, create an approval and ongoing management process for your leadership succession plan with key decision-makers.
DMC recommends that districts invest in a systemic succession planning process to manage long-term leadership development and recruitment objectives more effectively.
Succession Planning for Public School Districts: An Introduction
A DMC Management Advisory Brief
An Introduction to Succession Planning
