Common plans include business plans, strategic plans, and workforce plans.

These plans are all about action and implementation. Succession planning is about much more than a “plan”; it really is a “process.”

That means that you cannot design a succession plan and then put it on a shelf. Succession planning includes some key factors that we are about to discuss, and these include implementation as well as development, follow-up, and making adjustments. One task for leaders within your organization is to remind the board when it is time to review and update the process; waiting for the board to come to you asking for an update means that you may have actually missed a critical event. Keep on top of the process.