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COVER FEATURE Strategic succession planning
Strategic succession planning
7 PROACTIVE STEPS TO TAKE NOW TO ENSURE YOUR STAFF CAN ASSUME CRITICAL ROLES LATER
By Jennifer Fink
“There’s no doubt that we are seeing the greatest exodus of leadership at the district level that we have seen in this country,” Dan Domenech, executive director of The School Superintendents Association (AASA) told Newsweek in late 2021.
That’s probably not news to you. Your local education agency (LEA) has likely experienced numerous resignations over the past year, and you’re very likely looking to fill a few positions right now. In California and beyond – across all kinds of industries – resignations and retirements are occurring at near record-breaking levels.
“We’re seeing probably the most turnover, top to bottom, that we’ve seen in my entire 20 years,” says John Gray, president and CEO of School Services of California, Inc. (SSC), a CASBO Premier Partner. “And it’s not just some positions; it’s most positions. We’re seeing turnover at the superintendent, cabinet, assistant superintendent and chief business officer level, but it’s also hard to attract and retain general business workers like accountants, purchasing agents and food service employees. It’s never been tougher.”
The causes of the so-called Great Resignation will be debated for years to come. Here and now, the exodus of experienced employees has starkly revealed the importance of succession planning, or proactively preparing existing employees to assume critical roles within your organization.
Strategic succession planning
Proactive succession planning vs. replacement hiring
In a 2014 report entitled, “Best Practices in Succession Planning,” Hanover Research noted that “Current hiring practices often rely on ‘replacement filling,’ which entails waiting for a position to become vacant before searching for qualified candidates.” In contrast, “succession planning, or ‘proactive filling,’ is used to build a supply of leaders by anticipating future needs and preparing for vacancies ahead of time.”
Obviously, it’s most effective to have a qualified candidate waiting in the wings, ready to step into action when the time comes. Practically speaking, it can be extraordinarily difficult to recruit, train and retain talent, while also managing the daily operations of your LEA. Not helping matters is the fact that the average tenure of a district superintendent is approximately two and a half to three years, says Michael H. Fine, CEO of the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT).
“The cycle of identifying a district’s needs, planning to meet those needs and implementing all of that typically takes longer than two and a half to three years,” Fine notes. “Few superintendents go through the entire cycle in a single district, so they don’t necessarily have the long-term mindset that succession planning normally entails.”
The COVID-19 pandemic, of course, created additional complications. Who has time to think about succession planning when all efforts are focused on figuring out how to feed and educate students in a constantly changing climate?
It’s easy (and sometimes necessary) to get distracted by immediate needs, but school leaders – whether they plan to stay in-district or not – must intentionally reserve time and energy for succession planning. After all, human capital typically accounts for more than 80% of an LEA’s operating budget. Managing that capital should be a top priority. Failing to allot time and energy to succession planning can create additional costs and burdens, as initiatives can lose steam while you search for and train new employees.
7 strategies for successful succession planning STEP 1: Outline essential roles and review human capital
Review your LEA’s organizational charts. Make sure they accurately represent current roles and responsibilities. (If not, update to reflect reality.)
Then, consider the strengths, talents and capabilities of everyone who is currently part of your team. Whitney Johnson, CEO of the human capital consultancy Disruption Advisors and author of “Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company,” encourages leaders to leverage the power of what she calls the S-Curve of Learning, a model of personal growth.
Envision a rising s-shaped curve, like a wave. The first approximately one third of the curve, the slow, gradual rise, is the Launch Point. Individuals who are at the Launch Point are new to their role, still learning, and require support while facing challenges. The second one third of the curve, a rapid rise, is the Sweet Spot. Individuals at the Sweet Spot are invigorated by the challenges before them; things are not too hard and not too easy. The final third of the curve, a slight plateau at the top, is Mastery; here, growth slows and individuals may become bored.
“Think of the people on your team as a portfolio of S-Curves,” Johnson
says. “At any given time, you want approximately 60% of your people in the Sweet Spot, and you really don’t want more than 20% in Mastery or at the Sweet Spot.”
Identifying team members’ positions will reveal succession planning opportunities. Begin planning (if you haven’t already) to fill the positions of those at Mastery; these people need to move on to additional challenges. Recruit and hire some new Launch Point-level employees, if needed, and set aside some time to further develop those in the Sweet Spot.
Yes, this process can be timeconsuming. Effective succession planning, though, starts with a solid understanding of your LEA’s needs and assets. Review needs and assets annually.
STEP 2: Identify team members to develop
“Leaders often approach succession planning through the lens of, ‘who’s next for the organization?’ I recommend flipping it. Ask yourself, ‘What’s next for every individual inside of my organization?’” Johnson says. “That way, you start succession planning with people who are already working for you.”
According to Hanover Research, “The single most effective way to identify potential candidates for succession training is by pinpointing the people
Strategic succession planning
who have sought leadership responsibilities that exceed their primary job descriptions.”
Which brings us to Step 3 ...
STEP 3: Build on pandemic disruption
In an effort to meet community needs during school closures, LEAs redeployed human capital as needed. Some used bus drivers to deliver meals. Child nutrition employees placed check-in calls to students’ families. Colleagues covered for one another during absences, and nearly everyone took on responsibilities that exceeded their primary job descriptions.
“Take a look at how your employees stretched and stepped up,” Johnson says. “Think about how you can leverage those skills even more deliberately.”
Organizations that fail to acknowledge and encourage employees’ growth and development may lose them. “They may think, ‘If I can’t use my new skills here, I’ll use them somewhere else,’” Johnson says. (Johnson, in fact, argues that the Great Resignation may be more accurately called the Great Aspiration: “People are taking stock of their lives and experiences, and many are resigning because they’re aspiring to something new.”)
STEP 4: Invest in professional development
Give promising employees additional opportunities in your LEA. Consider cross-training. Assign a special project, with mentorship and guidance as needed. Make it clear that you value the employee and are interested in investing in their growth.
“As a chief business officer, you can invite and bring your staff with you to the CASBO conference,” says SSC’s Gray. “Districts can invest in training programs and provide financial support to employees willing to attend a CBO training program. It can make all the difference to say, ‘The district wants to
invest in you. Here’s this program – and we’re going to pay for it.’”
STEP 5: Hire people who are ready to grow
Don’t look for the perfect candidate; look for people who are looking to develop their skills.
“Hire people who view working with you and for you as an opportunity to grow,” Johnson says. “Don’t hire someone who can do the job in their sleep; they’ll get bored. Hire people who are excited to tackle a challenge.”
Consider candidates transitioning from other industries.
STEP 6: Budget for gradual transitions
Gordon Medd, former superintendent of Loomis Union School District, began discussing his intended retirement with the school board nearly two years in advance of his planned retirement date. These open conversations allowed Medd and the board to thoughtfully create a transition plan. Ultimately, the board hired his successor, Erika Sloane, an internal candidate who most recently served as the district’s director of curriculum and instruction – and allowed Medd and Sloane to work side by side for nearly six months before Medd officially retired.
“By the time I was done and turned in my key, I had introduced her to most of the key folks in our district,” Medd said. “We had many meetings with community leaders and some of our consultants, so we don’t go backward on any of our initiatives. She’s hitting the ground running.”
Right now, such gradual transitions are a rarity.
“Funding often gets in the way,” says FCMAT’s Fine. “But good succession planning provides for that overlap. You bite the bullet with respect to cost because it’s a priority to have consistency and move forward.”
STEP 7: Set successors up for success
Retired Lieutenant General James C. Vechery, U.S. Air Force, advises setting up a “handful of quick wins” for successors. These “can be areas you’ve been working that are close to meeting a key milestone, but [are] not quite over the goal line,” he writes in “General Leadership.” A few early victories will help the new leader gain confidence and pave the way for further achievement. z z z
Jennifer Fink is a freelance writer based in Mayville, Wisconsin.
What does succession planning look like in your district? Tweet us at @CASBO to share.
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