Succession planning is one of the trickier aspects of management in a large organization. The amount of backstabbing that sometimes goes on when a promotion is on the line can be pretty horrifying. There’s always going to be speculation over who deserves what at work. Even more pernicious is the gossip about who did what to whom to get where they are today. Many a hardworking (but not outstanding) employee has gone from being satisfied with their job to being totally disengaged when they are passed over for advancement. Many a rising star has fallen short when promoted beyond their current level of competence due to an unexpected opening higher up the ladder.
With all this in mind, it can pay to play it fairly close to the vest when it comes to revealing the details of your succession planning strategy to employees. You don’t want to feed into speculation or have an employee think there is an implied contract regarding their career path within your organization. There’s usually no upside to pitting one employee against another if you want to bring out the best rather than the worst in your workforce.
On the other hand, it’s smart to be open about the general competencies and character traits that you are looking for in promotable employees. Confusion and disappointment abound among the rank and file when the determining factors behind succession decisions are too opaque. Some employees take it as a given that they will be taking their boss’s place one day based on any variety of factors from length of tenure to personal friendship. Making it clear that favoritism plays no role in your promotion planning process is critical for minimizing hurt feelings and bitterness.
