Simplifying Succession Planning for Better Results
By: Stephanie Freiboth, Owner at My Empowered Career
It doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective.
If you hear the term “succession planning” and immediately think of binders, spreadsheets, and endless strategy meetings, you're not alone. For many organizations, especially in fast-paced or mission-driven environments, succession planning feels like a luxury they can’t afford or a project that’s always on the back burner.
But what if we flipped the script?
What if succession planning wasn’t about building a perfect document but about creating a living, breathing strategy that makes your people stronger, your bench deeper, and your future more secure?
Let’s simplify succession planning not just to save time, but to get better, faster results.
Why Succession Planning Matters More Than Ever
At its core, succession planning is about ensuring continuity, making sure the organization can keep moving forward when key people move on, retire, or shift roles. And, it’s also about employee engagement, development, and trust.
When done right, it sends a clear message: “We believe in your potential, and we’re investing in your future here.”
In today’s workplace, where people are rethinking loyalty and redefining success, succession planning isn’t just about preparing for the next CEO, it’s about giving every team member a reason to grow with you.
Start with a Single Question
The simplest way to start? Ask yourself this: If {insert name of influential person in a leadership role} left tomorrow, who could step in?
This one question can spark meaningful conversations beyond having a backup. Instead it’s an opportunity to discuss changing business needs, future skill needs, and identifying potential within the organization.
You don’t need a full-blown HR tech system to begin succession planning. You just need the courage to have honest conversations and the commitment to act on what you learn.
5 Simple Steps to Streamline Your Succession Planning
Here’s a no-fluff, simplified approach that works for teams of any size.
1. Identify Critical Roles, Not Just Titles
Not all roles need a formal succession plan. Focus on the positions that are critical to your operations, your strategy, or your culture. These might be leadership roles, yes, but they might also include individual contributors who hold positions of influence or who hold key relationships with clients or project information.
A question I like to ask is “If this role went unfilled for 30 days, what would break?”
That’s your starting point.
2. Look Beyond Performance and Spot the Potential
We often default to promoting our top performers, however, strong performance in a current role doesn’t always translate to success at the next level. As responsibilities increase, so do the pressures, expectations, and complexity. That’s why effective succession planning goes beyond performance and dives deep into identifying potential.
Potential is the possibility that someone can grow into a role with the right support, guidance, and experience. But here’s the catch…potential is one part previous performance and 1 part perception of how they will perform in an elevated role. It’s a belief in what someone could become, not a guarantee.
Look for:
- Curiosity and learning agility
- Willingness to take ownership
- Influence and relationship-building skills
- Alignment with your values and mission
A good reminder is that past performance shows what they’ve done. Potential tells you what they could do next.
3. Create Development-Ready Opportunities
You don’t need a formal leadership development program to build your bench. Start by being intentional about the developmental experiences you offer.
Give potential successors stretch assignments, allow them to shadow senior leaders, or ask them to lead cross-functional initiatives. These are more than resume builders. These are low-risk, high-impact opportunities for individuals to test their skills, build confidence, and learn how to navigate ambiguity.
I’ve seen a few too many internal promotions fail. Not due to a lack of talent, but because the individual was never given the chance to practice leading before they were expected to perform.
Exposure to broader business challenges, decision-making frameworks, and cross-functional thinking helps prepare future leaders for the realities of the next role. It also helps you evaluate how someone handles complexity, influence, and change well before they’re in the spotlight.
External coaches and peer groups will add a boost to your future leaders’ development. A neutral third-party coach can provide confidential space for reflection, skill-building, and growth. Likewise, participating in mastermind groups, industry cohorts, or leadership roundtables can expand perspective, build networks, and accelerate maturity in ways that internal training alone can’t offer.
4. Talk About It Out Loud and Often
One of the biggest reasons succession plans fail is that they live on a piece of paper that no one opens until there’s an emergency.
Make it part of your regular check-ins and performance conversations. Normalize talking about the future, about goals, about what’s next. You can inspire without making promises that a specific role is destined for them. Leaving room for skills and capabilities to bloom will provide flexibility and options for the individual and the organization. When leaders and team members both understand the path ahead, planning becomes a collaborative process. Not a surprise pivot when someone resigns.
Encourage managers to ask:
- What role would you love to grow into?
- What skills do you want to build this year?
- Who do you see as a future leader on our team?
5. Track It
Succession planning doesn't need to live in a complex HR system or a massive binder to be effective, but it does need to be visible, accessible, and regularly reviewed. A lightweight tracking method such as a simple spreadsheet or dashboard can go a long way in keeping your plans actionable and top of mind.
A simple plan used consistently will always outperform a “perfect” plan sitting untouched. At a minimum, track:
- Key roles you’ve identified as critical
- Potential successor for each role
- Readiness level (ready now, 1-2 years, 3+ years)
- Development actions in progress
- Any known risks (e.g., likelihood of leaving, critical skill gaps)
Your plan should evolve with your people. Roles change, ambitions shift, and life happens. Regularly reviewing your succession plan (e.g. quarterly or biannually) is the difference between having a plan that’s relevant versus one that’s outdated and ignored.
Not a One-and-Done Activity
Succession planning shows that you are forward thinking and that you understand evolving individual and organizational needs. Succession planning, when done proactively, allows people in the organization to be inspired and energized by the possibilities.
This is not a check the box event. Every promotion, every departure, every re-org is a chance to revisit and refresh your plan.
Build it into your culture by making development a shared responsibility between leaders, employees, and HR. When everyone knows they have a part to play in preparing the next generation of leaders, you’ll create a culture where growth is the norm, not the exception.
Progress Over Perfection
You don’t need to map the entire future. Just start.
Pick one role. Identify one person. Create one development opportunity. Start the conversation.
When you focus on progress over perfection, succession planning becomes less about fear of the unknown and more about building a team that’s ready for anything. You will experience momentum with a solidified plan to cascade through the leadership levels, ultimately deepening your bench, improving retention and identifying gaps before they become significant issues.
Because the best time to plan for the future isn’t someday. It’s now.