Succession Planning is Part of Leadership

Why it’s important for the stability of the organization to have a successful succession plan.

By Vicky Lyle, Vice President, Industry Association, Owens & Minor

Succession planning is an important part of leadership because it is critical to the ongoing success of an organization. Leaders must encourage the leading members of our organizations to seriously consider how to sustain our organization’s momentum and mission, groom future leaders, and delegate authority effectively. As a leader, it is especially important to develop others to be our successor for the day that we step into a new role.

As of Jan. 1, 2023, Allison Therwanger will be at the helm of the Professional Women in Healthcare® (PWH®) organization as the 2023-2024 chair. I have been honored to serve as PWH ® Chair during the 2021-2022 term. PWH ® is our industry’s only organization focused solely on leadership development, specifically leadership diversity, and we take succession planning seriously!

Many of you already know Allison. She is the vice president of Innovia

Medical Corporation. She has been at my side as chair elect throughout the past two years. Allison has been a member of PWH® and the treasurer since the organization’s beginning. She is a strong leader and will continue to advance our mission of creating a culturally inclusive industry equally led by women.

With each new PWH® Chair, the leadership team of PWH® strives to take the PWH® organization to the next level. We learn from one another and support each other. As of January 1, I will take on the duties of the past chair position, and for the next two years, I will continue to serve in a supporting role to help Allison with whatever she needs. As Allison steps into her new chair role, Ashleigh McLaughlin, chief financial officer of IMCO, will step into the chair elect role and begin her twoyear training to become chair.

PWH® has a wonderful succession planning program that has helped us over the years stay focused on our strategic goals, grow the organization, and most importantly advance our mission and make our vision a reality. We use the “9-Box” succession planning tool. This tool is used to identify the performance and potential of our team, including those who are ready to take on advanced positions and those who may need more development. The tool helps us build a bench of resources as others move up or out of our organization. Does your company have a succession plan? If not, consider planning tools that that can help you get started. ʯ Talk to your manager – let your interest be known! ʯ Network with others in your organization – ask for advice ʯ Identify your gaps – and work on those skills ʯ Use tools such as Clifton Strengths Finder to identify your strengths and share them

What if you aren’t part of the succession planning process? How do you play a role in your succession plan placement?

There are many tools to help you get involved in the succession planning process. The most important thing, though, is to have a succession plan. The PWH® organization will be around for many years to come, and it is important for the stability of the organization to have a successful succession plan. I know that our next chair, Allison Therwanger, is ready to lead PWH® because of the strong succession plan that the PWH® organization has in place to prepare her for this role as it prepared me for this role as well.