Effective Succession Planning: Ensuring Leadership Continuity and Building Talent from Within

Great material. Too much to absorb without substantial personal outlining of the book or a much needed improved table to contents by the author.

Rothwell’s assertion, The continued survival of the organization depends on having the right employees in the right positions at the right time, is very much a truism. But the question is how do you respond to this truth? Rothwell’s succession planning assumes that God is not going to support your customers as your company’s ability to meet their needs are threatened by the loss of an employee. Perhaps that’s why it’s necessary. Companies no longer have God’s support as they serve customer’s urges rather than their needs.

Since God cannot be expected to rise up someone to ensure that your business’s frivolous outputs can continue uninterrupted, businesses are forced into an overly bureaucratic approach to ensuring continuity through retirements and unplanned departures.

It’s like a family not only having life insurance policies but also having potential spouses picked out in case tragedy strikes a parent (or they decide to divorce). This never occurs in healthy families because of two factors which are not present in today’s businesses:
1. There is an assumed life-long dedication to the family unit where commitment rules regardless of how well the family unit is serving the person’s need. The family unit’s need trump personal fulfillment.
2. It is assumed that if the unexpected happens, God will provide. It’s not that families do (or shouldn’t) do anything to prepare for the worst, but undo expenditures of time are not only unjustified, they are inherently faithless—revealing that you don’t believe God would provide and sustain through tragedy.