In order to advance in life, it's crucial to free yourself from the day-to-day operations of your department. If you are solely responsible for keeping things running, you'll never have the opportunity to grow. It's essential to identify someone who can take over your current responsibilities, allowing you to focus on broader goals and strategic initiatives. By planning for succession and finding a suitable successor, whether you're an entrepreneur, organizational leader, or manufacturer, you can ensure the continuity and growth of your business. This approach will empower you to identify and develop individuals who can effectively step into your role when needed.

Steps to Succession Plan

Given below are the steps that will help you build your own Succession Plan.

I Do … You See

Choose your next suitable team member and show them how the task is performed. Your team member will observe and learn from your demonstration. This is commonly referred to as a Mentor-Mentee Relationship, where you take on the role of the mentor and your team member becomes the mentee."

You Do … I See

After carefully observing how the task is performed, the mentee should be given the opportunity to carry out the task while the mentor provides guidance and observes their progress. It's crucial to maintain a close watch on the mentee's performance during the task and to offer constructive feedback to support their development. Additionally, it's important to consistently acknowledge and appreciate the mentee's efforts to encourage their growth.

It's common for leaders to delegate tasks to their subordinates as a way to lighten their workload. However, it's essential for leaders to recognize that the person delegating the task remains responsible for its successful completion, rather than the individual carrying it out. Therefore, it's important to remember that as a leader, you are ultimately responsible for the work of your subordinates.

When the mentee is executing the delegated task, it's crucial for the mentor to closely observe their progress and provide feedback to ensure that the task is being performed correctly. This feedback should be tailored to guide the mentee in the right direction and help them improve their performance.

You Do … Report Immediately

After your team member has successfully completed a task, request that they complete the task and then report to you promptly. They can report to you via email, WhatsApp, or in person. Once they have submitted their work, review it thoroughly and provide feedback as needed.

You Do … Report Routinely

Your team member should report to you immediately after becoming proficient in a task. Once proficient, they should be assigned the task to be completed on a routine basis.

Set a specific day each week for your team member to send you a report on the completed task for your review.

Even if your team member is proficient, they may still need guidance. Therefore, it's important to carefully review all the reports. If you notice mistakes, it's crucial to revisit the entire process from the beginning.

You Do the Same with Your Juniors

Once a team member has mastered all four steps, they are ready to pass on their knowledge and skills to their juniors. Just as you've developed your team member, now it's their turn to do the same with their team members. This creates a cycle of learning and growth within the team, where each member has the opportunity to develop and mentor others.

Conclusion

By implementing and consistently practicing this framework for execution, you will undoubtedly empower yourself to cultivate a team composed of exceptional individuals ("Gems") and capable leaders ("Ministers"). Once you establish and maintain a Mentor-Mentee cycle within your organization, you can be assured of substantial growth. Without this approach, your company may simply become a revolving door for employees who view it as a training center, where they come to learn and then move on. To avoid this, it's crucial to initiate a culture of mentorship among your team members and foster the development of more mentors within your organization.