Succession Planning

1
Succession Planning

• Presenters Laurette Burdyl Stephanie Duncan

2
Developing a Succession Plan

• Where to start
• Identify areas where significant loss of
  knowledge and skills will be occurring in the
  near future
• Identify high value knowledge and skills - core
  business processes or programs most vulnerable to
  turn over
• Based on the above criteria, select a function(s)
  in your organization that would benefit from
  succession planning.

3
Identify Staffing Levels and KSAs

• Which job functions will remain unchanged?
• What services may be discontinued or downsized?
• What services may be expanded?
• Will reengineering, process improvement or
  technology impact staffing levels ?

4
Identify Staffing Levels and KSAs

• What job functions, if any, will be consolidated?
• Will the projected workload volume increase or
  decrease?
• Will staffing levels change? If so, how?
• What KSAs are needed to perform the targeted job
  functions?

5
Project Anticipated Knowledge and Skills Gaps

• List critical knowledge and skill gaps that exist
  or will exist due to retirements and potential
  turn-over.
• Select most feasible succession planning
  strategies

6
Develop a Plan

• Get sponsorship from senior management
• Engage key stakeholders
• Develop a knowledge transfer plan
• Communicate the plan
• Implement and monitor
• Evaluate and revise

7
Knowledge Transfer

• The process of sharing knowledge between on
  person and another
• If knowledge has not been absorbed, it has not
  been transferred

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Types of Knowledge Explicit

• Structured Data elements that are organized in
  a particular way for future retrieval e.g.,
  documents, databases, spreadsheets
• Unstructured Information not referenced for
  retrieval e.g., emails, images, audio or video
  selections

9
Types of Knowledge Tacit

• Knowledge that people carry in their heads. It
  is difficult to access and most people are not
  even aware of what they possess or how it is of
  value to others. It provides context for ideas,
  experiences, people, and places and is not easily
  captured.

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Knowledge Transfer/ Management Strategies

• Best Practices
• Communities of Practice/Interest
• Documenting Processes
• Document Repositories
• Job Aids
• Job Rotation
• Job Shadowing
• Knowledge Audits

• Knowledge Fairs and Open Forums
• Knowledge Maps/Inventories
• Learning Games
• Lessons Learned Debriefing
• Mentoring
• Storytelling
• Structured On-the-Job training

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Community of Practice/Interest What

• A group of individuals sharing a common working
  practice over a period of time, though not part
  of a formally constituted work team
• - generally cuts across organizational
  boundaries and enables individuals to
  acquire new knowledge faster

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Community if Practice/InterestWhy

• Provides a sanctioned mechanism for sharing
  knowledge
• Leads to improved network of contacts
• Provides peer recognition and continuous learning
• Provides a mechanism for sharing tacit knowledge

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Community of Practice/InterestHow

• Determine what knowledge people need to share
• Determine the purpose of the group, e.g., solving
  everyday work problems, developing and
  disseminating best practices, etc.
• Clarify roles and responsibilities
• Provide resources and support

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Community of Practice/InterestSteps

• Identify community members
• Devise ways to collaborate, e.g., meetings,
  on-line messaging or chat rooms, shared
  databases, etc.
• Hold initial event to engage member interest
  explain mechanics
• Check on progress

15
Community of Practice/ InterestDos Donts

• Membership should be voluntary
• Recruit those who are seen as experts and trusted
  as information sources

• Management should not dictate action

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Document

• A container for information
• Paper
• Electronic

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Job Shadowing - What

• Spending a day or more accompanying someone in
  their work place to observe and learn about a
  particular occupation.

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Job Shadowing Tips

• Share a little history of the job
• Talk about the roles responsibilities
• Describe the personal attributes that match the
  job
• Discuss educational requirements, the career
  ladder for the job and related positions

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Learning Games Types

• Scavenger Hunts
• TV Quiz Shows
• Board Games
• Name That games
• 20 Questions

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Structured OJT - What

• Instruction that takes place on the actual job
  site, usually involving learning skills or
  procedures in a hands-on manner following a
  defined process.

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Structured OJT - Tips

• Use good performers
• Provide training resources
• Analyze the job, breaking into tasks, and develop
  procedures and aids for teaching
• Describe, Describe Demonstrate, Trainee
  Performs, Trainee Describes Performs, Trainee
  Practices
• Tell trainee where to go for help
• Follow-up with trainee

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Selected Resources

• KM.gov
• Common Knowledge Nancy M. Dixon
• Working Knowledge Thomas H. Davenport
• The Springboard Stephen Denning

• Communities of Practice, HBR Jan-Feb 2000
• If Only We Knew What We Know Carla S. ODell
• www.brint.com/km/