Principles of Succession Planning
Introduction;
Based on the increase value of intellectual capital and knowledge management, it is very important for churches and Christian organizations to plan for leadership continuity and leadership advancement at all levels to meet the needs of the people in a changing world.
There is the need for any good leader to ensure leadership continuity through the process of building talents from within the ministry.
We need to have leadership development and continuous learning structure within the church to build a leadership core.
Succession planning considers the future of the staff and the continual success of the ministry. The quality of the ministry’s succession planning and its corporate image are closely linked.Key Principles; - -Assess current needs and future resources for succession planning.
-Identify competencies. (Competency can be underlying characteristics of a person-motive, trait, and skill, aspects of ones self-image or social role. Competency identification is the process of discovering graces.
- Clarify values, culture and strategy for succession program.-Recruitment-(recruiting right or good people always pay dividends and are a key area of importance in succession planning.)
-Develop leadership team. (Investing time in developing team members or family member and allowing them to exercise authority and control, will be vital to your success)
- Focus on the development of successor candidate (inner circle)
-See succession planning as a journey not an event.
-Plan for and quickly fill crucial positions at all levels (departments) as the ministry develops.
-Develop, and retain top talent, building and preserving your ministry’s intellectual capital and knowledge. (By empowering a broad range of key people, the selection process is simplified and the senior man options are enhanced.).
Covenant Leadership International
Pastors Conference 2008-GhanaTheme; Making Difference in Ministry
Topic: Principles of Succession PlanningIntroduction;
Based on the increase value of intellectual capital and knowledge management, it is very important for churches and Christian organizations to plan for leadership continuity and leadership advancement at all levels to meet the needs of the people in a changing world.
There is the need for any good leader to ensure leadership continuity through the process of building talents from within the ministry.
We need to have leadership development and continuous learning structure within the church to build a leadership core.
Succession planning considers the future of the staff and the continual success of the ministry. The quality of the ministry’s succession planning and its corporate image are closely linked.SUCCESSION PLANNING
*Is the process that helps ensure the stability of tenure of personnel.
*It is also an effort designed to ensure the continued effective performance of an organization by making provisions for the development, replacement, and strategic application of key people overtime
*Succession planning considers the future of the staff and the continual success of the ministry. The quality of the ministry’s succession planning and its corporate image are closely linked.
*It is a means of identifying critical leadership positions, and to ensure that as individuals achieve greater seniority, their leadership skills will broaden and become more generalized in relation to total organizational objective rather than to purely departmental objectively.
* Succession Planning is like a relay race-It has to do with passing on the responsibility.
When you drop the baton, you lose the race
*Some efforts must be made to ensure that the organization is systematically identifying and preparing High-potential people or candidates for key positions
*Great care must be taken to identify promising leaders early and actively cultivate their development. Individuals who are both high performers on their present jobs and high potential for future leadership positions should not be taken for granted.IMPORTANCE OF SUCCESSION PLANNING
1. Forms the basis of communicating career path to each individuals
2. It establishes development and training plans
3. Establishes career paths and individual job moves.
4. It helps in communicating upward and laterally and concerning the leadership organization.
5. Creating a more comprehensive human Resource planning SystemREASONS
- Provide increased opportunities for High Potential workers or leaders.
- Identify” Replacement Needs” as a means of targeting necessary Training, Staff Education, and Staff development.
- Increase the Talent pool of promotable Leaders
- Contribute to implementing the ministry or organization strategic Business plan
- Help individuals Realize their CALLING and Role in the ministry.
- Tap the Potential for intellectual capital in the ministry or organization
- Encourage Advancement of various groups
- Improve staff ability to respond to changing environmental demands.
- Improves staff/ Workers morale
- Cope with the effects of voluntary separation of progress
ENSURING LEADERSHIP CONTINUITY IN MINISTRY
- Traditional Approach
- Alternative Approach
TRADITIONAL
This deals with promoting people from within. It has distinct advantages
It sustains staff morale, and it smoothes transition by ensuring that Key positions are filled by those whose personalities, philosophies, and skills are already known to others in the ministry:
It enforces the existing culture,
It can also end up perpetuating the leadership ranks composition
The traditional method of promotion from within involves hard work or proven ministry within the ranks
ALTERNATIVE
This is done mostly in the corporate world. Some of the churches in developed countries also advertise for ministerial employment when there is a vacant position
Trading personnel from other ministry or organization (Outsourcing)
In this case, the organization and its process must be redesigned
PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES - -Assess current needs and future resources for succession planning.
-Identify competencies. (Competency can be underlying characteristics of a person-motive, trait, and skill, aspects of ones self-image or social role). Competency identification is the process of discovering graces.
- Clarify values, culture and strategy for succession program.-Recruitment-(recruiting right or good people always pay dividends and are a key area of importance in succession planning.)
-Develop leadership team. (Investing time in developing team members or family member and allowing them to exercise authority and control, will be vital to your success)
- Focus on the development of successor candidate (inner circle)
-See succession planning as a journey not an event.
-Plan for and quickly fill crucial positions at all levels (departments) as the ministry develops.
-Develop, and retain top talent, building and preserving your ministry’s intellectual capital and knowledge. (By empowering a broad range of key people, the selection process is simplified and the senior man options are enhanced.).