Have you ever thought about your succession plan? I’m not just talking about who might replace you in your primary job. What about your other leadership roles?
I’m frequently asking my daughter this question…and she is a high school senior. She has many leadership roles at school and we talk often about who will succeed her when she graduates. You might say that is the school’s problem to solve. Accountable people would not say that, however.
Accountable people think about the value they are adding to the world, and how to keep that value going once they move on to something new. For accountable, service-minded people, value is typically added in multiple places – at home, at work, in the community.
AT HOME
So, as you heard, my daughter will be graduating at the end of this school year. Then, she’s off to college and all the responsibilities she owns in the household will need to be turned over to someone else. Among other things, she is in charge of the cleaning the bathrooms weekly, driving herself and her sister to and from school, and making brownies for every occasion. In fact, her brownies are quite coveted in all the circles she occupies. What will people do when she is at college?!?
I’m really hoping her sister picks up the bathroom chores. My husband and I will have to flip a coin and/or split driving duties, and I’m not sure anyone will have the credibility to step in to produce her brownies. Doesn’t sound like much of a plan, does it? With my daughter’s initiative and input, though, we will certainly be able to fill these gaps thoughtfully rather than reactively, or worse, not at all.
Now, she could just skip off to college and leave us to figure it out…but she won’t do that because she’s an Accountability Ambassador. And so are you. So, make a plan for who will succeed you when it’s time for you to do something else at home.
Speaking of which, I’m preparing to reenter the workforce outside my home, and that means all the cooking and cleaning and appointments I have taken on can no longer be done in the same manner as when I was at home, working for myself, with the freedom to choose how I spent my time. Succession planning applies here too.
The first place to look for my successors is in my own house. Hopefully, some of them can pick up most or at least some of the slack. I will of course retain some of the responsibility myself. But then there may be some things left over that either don’t get done by us, don’t get done as frequently, or don’t get done at all. We may elect to do takeout a few times a week, or pay a neighbor to mow our lawn. The decisions should be based on how we most meaningfully want to spend our time. And I don’t want to spend any more time in my laundry room than I already do. If I can afford more help, I’m going to get it. Or, I’ll have to make sacrifices with the remaining free time I have left.
The point is to actually think about this stuff rather than let it happen to you.
AT WORK
I recently published my first course on Udemy, Succession Planning: Prepare Leaders for Tomorrow. It has all the tools, templates, and training you need to understand how to identify and prepare successor candidates to step into your role when it is time for you to do something else. I highly recommend taking 1 hour of your time to complete this course. It will serve you very well in the workplace, and it has relevant information you can apply to community roles as well.
IN THE COMMUNITY
It can be such a burden on non-profit organizations when volunteers disappear, with or without warning. It would be so helpful if you, the volunteer, would first attempt to secure a suitable replacement. Who would be a better recruiter than you? You understand the responsibilities and how they impact the organization. You can communicate not only your duties but also your passion for the role, the organization, and the people it serves. You can then train your replacement and pass the baton knowing you did right by the organization even as you were leaving it.
Far before you decide to end your volunteer assignment, start thinking about who would embrace the role and do it well. Invite them to shadow you and perhaps let them take the reigns on occasion while you are still there to provide support. You’ll want the organization’s endorsement of this person, of course, so you can work in tandem with your organization’s representative to make sure all parties are aligned.
GO FORTH AND SUCCEED YOURSELF
Check out my course and start thinking about your successors in all areas of your life. Being planful is accountable and it also gives you the freedom to pursue your own continuous growth responsibly.
