Have you thought about who will succeed you in your current role? If you haven’t considered this before it may feel like you are working yourself out of a job. That is exactly what you are doing. For executive leaders with key roles in an organization this is especially important. In many cases, this has been carefully planned and there are multiple people identified as the successors to key positions. You may have heard this referred to as “the bench.” Just like in basketball, there are key players on the bench that can take the place of the starters when needed. Will the bench be ready if they are called upon? If not, then the leaders need to start preparing them so they have experience and are capable of taking over when needed.
Planning for this shouldn’t occur at the time when you are considering a new role. It should be something you think about at the beginning when you take on a role. I learned this lesson from someone who had joined our company and was a strong driver type. He told me that he was leaving his role in 18 months or less and had already starting to train his replacement. I was a little surprised knowing he had just started, but he made me think about the importance of focusing on this when you first take on a role.
If you stay in a role too long and become the only one who can do it, then you will have a really hard time moving on to something else. When you are ready to be considered for a new role, the organization should have full confidence in your backfill. Share your confidence in them and promote the good things that they are doing to your management. Demonstrate this by giving them opportunities to fill in for you in meetings so they get exposure to your leadership. Be transparent and share the information that you know with them to set them up for success. Your planning and preparation will enable the successor to step right into your role and allow the organization to continue to run smoothly. You are now ready to move on to your next leadership challenge.
Are you thinking about making a move in your career? Coaching with me can help you be ready for this new opportunity. Set up time with me to get started! http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/