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    Glossary›Succession Planning
    Glossary · Strategy

    What is Succession Planning?

    Definition

    Succession planning is the strategic process of identifying, developing, and preparing employees to fill key organizational roles in the future. It ensures leadership continuity, mitigates risk from unexpected departures, and creates career pathways for high-potential employees. Succession planning links to talent development, performance management, and organizational strategy.

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    Leadership PipelineTalent DevelopmentRisk MitigationCareer PathwaysStrategic PlanningSuccession Planning
    In short

    Succession Planning at a glance.

    Identifies critical roles and high-potential candidates for those roles
    Develops succession candidates through targeted learning and experiences
    Reduces risk of key-person dependencies and unexpected departures
    Often includes cross-training and exposure to broader responsibilities

    Ensuring Leadership Continuity

    Succession planning prevents leadership crises and retention risks. If a VP retires unexpectedly without a successor ready, the organization loses months to external hiring. Proactive succession planning identifies potential successors, develops them through targeted experiences and training, and ensures smooth transitions. Platforms tracking succession plans, development progress, and readiness enable dynamic, data-driven succession management.

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    Succession Planning — frequently asked

    For critical C-level roles, 3-5 years is ideal. For mid-level management, 1-3 years. Short notice positions require 6-12 month acceleration plans. The sooner you identify and develop succession candidates, the smoother transitions become.

    Develop multiple candidates for each critical role (typically 2-3 backups). Retention of succession candidates matters, so communicate their development and future opportunities. Understand what they value and address it to reduce flight risk.

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