Succession Planning: Developing Leaders for the Future of the Organization

SUCCESSION PLANNING: DEVELOPING LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION (continued)

OUR APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND SUCCESSION PLANNING

Given the realities outlined above, Daytona BeachCommunity College decided to look for a solution that would encompass leadership development needs throughout the institution. The college already had in place a highly successful presidential leadership seminar series. It was expected that the new initiative would build on these seminars. A desired emphasis was to focus on internal progression of existing employees when possible, so that the learning curve experienced with new employees would be minimized. This was not meant to imply that all replacements would be internal. A task force representing all employee groups, faculty, administrators, professionals, and career employees was developed and charged with researching options and developing a recommendation.

Initial research showed that the most common strategies for producing new community college leaders involve leadership development programs. Although some leadership development programs are designed for and include potential leaders at levels other than the presidency, in most cases there is a strong focus on developing community college presidents. Mcfarlin (1999), in an article in the Community College Review, identified nine common background factors among outstanding community college presidents: (1) a doctorate-level earned degree, (2) study of community college leadership as an academic major, (3) a professional publication record tied to personal research, (4) preparation as a change agent, (5) previous leadership positions, (6) an ongoing relationship with a mentor, (7) involvement in a peer network, (8) prior participation in leadership development activities,

and (9) an understanding of technology. In consultation with the

institution's senior leadership, the task force concluded that many of

these factors were important for all institutional leadership positions. This conclusion led to the decision to develop a comprehensive leadership development initiative tied to succession planning - a common approach in the private sector, but a relatively new concept in community colleges. Daytona BeachCommunity College realized that the introduction of succession planning had to be done in a strategic manner.

Succession planning is not a clandestine strategy to immediately replace people in certain positions. It is a systematic process whereby

professional and personal development is blended with a strategic plan to ensure that the organization is prepared to fill any position that becomes vacant, with the right person who possesses the right skills and attributes, at the right time. While some succession plans focus on

preparing one specific employee for an identified position, Daytona BeachCommunity College elected to follow a collegial model whereby several employees were encouraged to engage in personal and professional development in preparation for one or more positions that might become available. The plan made it clear that when a position became available, the candidate would be required to compete for the position through the college's normal internal hiring process.

While the college has always supported the professional development efforts of faculty and staff, there has never been an undertaking whereby professional development was tied to specific advancement opportunities. The college's leadership and the leadership development and succession- planning task force realized that the approach to this initiative had to be inclusive and carefully executed. The initiative had to be seen as a positive one that opened doors to anyone who desired to enter and prepare for advancement, while keeping it very clear that actual succession to advanced positions, as they became available, would be based on qualifications and merit.

PRACTICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS

Believing that the foundation of succession planning is an effective

leadership development program, the college invested resources into the

development of a collegewide Leadership Development Institute (LDI). This approach appeared to be the logical next step to build on the presidential leadership seminar series. Leadership of the LDI was assigned to a vice president with an academic background and training in industrial- organizational psychology and an associate vice president with a humanresources background.

All employees at the college were invited to participate in the leadership program. The LDI used a tiered, tracked approach. The tiered component took into consideration that some employees were preparing themselves for advancement to positions that required only a few of the nine leadership factors previously identified. For example, one of the positions identified in the succession plan was that of physical plant director. While this position required specific leadership skills, factors such as a doctorate, an academic major focusing on community colleges, and professional publication were clearly unnecessary. The task force concluded that while the nine factors must be considered, the LDI needed to develop a set of philosophical foundations specific to Daytona BeachCommunity College.

In addition to the practical guidelines for leadership development, the

college developed a set of guiding foundation statements to assist in

defining program parameters:

* Leadership development is directly related to relationship development.

* Leadership opportunities exist throughout the institution - not in just so-called leadership positions.

* Leadership development is directly related to organizational

development.

* Leadership development deserves an organization's investment of time and resources.

* Leadership development is an essential component of succession planning.

Four leadership tracks were devised for use in the LDI: leadership skills, formal education, topic-intensive training, and experiential. The leadership-skills track included an emphasis on determining and

understanding individual leadership styles and focuses. The formal- education track included all levels of formal education ranging from high school diplomas to doctoral degrees. Topic-intensive training was designed for individuals seeking to acquire a skill that would supplement existing education or experience. For example, an employee with a bachelor's degree and working in the student advising area might desire to become an accountant. The topic-intensive training would provide the mechanism for the acquisition of training in accounting. Finally, in some ways, the most important component was the experiential track. In this track, employees were introduced to mentoring, job shadowing, coaching, and a personalized sponsoring process.

SUCCESSION MANAGEMENT PLAN

As the LDI took shape, attention was turned to structuring and formalizing the succession plan, approached as a planning tool designed to prepare the college for the future by preserving its human resources. Care was taken to ensure that employees understood the purpose and goals of developing the plan: organizational development while serving as a guide for personal and professional development. Plan development was approached with these points in mind:

* Replacement planning is more expensive than succession planning.

* Succession planning allows for systematic organizational development.

* Succession planning allows an organization to identify knowledge gaps and develop employees to fill these gaps.

* Succession planning allows employees to express their aspirations for career advancement in a safe, positive, and comfortable environment.

The plan covers all leadership positions, from senior leadership to

director level, and provides a rolling five-year view of potential and

anticipated personnel changes. For each position identified, the minimum qualifications are listed to allow potential applicants to pursue appropriate professional development for possible promotion to that position. The plan identifies critical areas and incorporates anticipated retirements and resignations, projected internal promotions, vacated positions that will not be filled, and other personnel changes in conjunction with efforts to diversify the workforce. While some employees were recommended for inclusion in the succession plan, all employees were given the opportunity to nominate themselves. The plan does not grant or convey any rights or benefits to any individual, is not binding on the college, and is subject to change without notice.

STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN

The succession management plan is a dynamic document in that employees may be added to the plan or removed as the needs of the organization and employees change. For example, as employees complete training or develop experience, either through the LDI or other means, they may be added to the plan, change positions in the plan, or be removed. Generally, employees are removed from the plan only at their request or when they leave the college. However, through the LDI, employees are encouraged to be realistic about the progress they are making toward becoming qualified for positions. The philosophy behind this approach is not to promote unrealistic expectations, but to ensure that each employee has the opportunity to aspire to any position.

The plan is structured to provide at a glance all the basic information

needed by college leadership and employees. The format is as follows:

* Name of the position

* A brief description of the qualifications required for the position

* Name of the incumbent in the position, including any available

information on retirement or separation plans

* Name(s) of potential replacements for the incumbent when the position becomes available

The following is an example of a typical entry in the succession management plan:

Position: Vice President for Planning and Development

* Qualifications: Master's degree, doctorate preferred in an academic

discipline or in educational leadership, with progressive experience and knowledge in planning and evaluation.

* (Name of incumbent). Plan to retire or to seek advancement outside of the institution in three to five years.

* (Names of potential replacements)

PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES

Almost four years after the first presidential leadership seminars were

offered, the LDI and the succession management plan have been fully

implemented. During the 2003-2004 academic year, 97 employees are

participating in one or more tracks in the LDI. Three employees have earned master's degrees; 12 are enrolled in doctoral degrees. Six employees are in various stages of completing bachelor's or master's degrees. Approximately 85 employees, in various combinations, are participating in the in-house leadership series, mentoring, job-shadowing, and other experiential activities.

In addition to these tangible outcomes, the college has reaped other

important results. Feedback from participating employees has consistently showed a renewed appreciation for the college and the administrative support for the leadership development and succession-planning initiatives. Employee groups have begun to regularly describe the college as a learning organization. While it is not easy to objectively correlate these comments to employee satisfaction and productivity, it is logical to conclude that these initiatives are having a positive impact. One thing is clear: Daytona BeachCommunity College is now well positioned to meet future leadership challenges that it may encounter.

REFERENCES

Campbell, D.F. (2002). The Leadership Gap: Model Strategies for Leadership Development . Washington , D.C. : American Association of Community Colleges.

Mcfarlin, C.H. (1999). "Background Factors Common Among Outstanding

Community College Presidents." Community College Review , Winter, 1999.

Charles Carroll mailto: is Vice President of Planning and Development at Daytona BeachCommunity College .