Gooooooo Dawgs! ....Building Season.

I am a proud University of Georgia alumnus and support the Red and Black year in and year out. This has been a frustrating season as our results on the football field have been lackluster (though other programs are doing very well). Back in my college days when the team went through a rough patch here and there my friends and I joked that it was “building season.”

This year I initially complained that this was Mark Richt’s fault. Obviously he didn’t develop a successor for Matthew Stafford. Hasn’t he ever heard of bench strength? Where’s the succession planning? I realize that often these phrases are used in a corporate context but doesn’t it still apply?

I am not a college football expert. Frankly, I have no idea what I’m talking about regarding Richt’s decisions. Overall, I like him as a coach and a leader and I hope he stays a long time. I do know a thing or two about training and bench planning. Regardless of your stand on Georgia football, the context can help us think about planning in your organization.

1. It isn’t enough to coach and develop current leaders. Candidates need time and opportunity to experience real life situations. Once you identify the back-up quarterback, this up and coming leader needs a chance to get on the field. It isn’t enough to put them in when you’re up by 30; future leaders need the chance to experience the normal pressure of the role. This is easier to do in the office than on the football field…or is it?
2. Play to the strength of the successor. Don’t expect that a successor will be exactly like your current leader. The current leader leveraged a set of skills and leadership characteristics to be successful. The successor may have the experience to do the job tasks and have different leadership characteristics that can impact how the job gets done.
3. Never stop developing bench strength. Just because you have a replacement lined up doesn’t mean you can’t prepare a second replacement or start cross-training leaders across functions. This is critical to building a well-rounded, engaged team.
4. Give up and coming leaders the opportunity to actually lead the team not just be the voice of the team. Being the go-to person while you are on vacation is a nice pat-on-the-back for your successor. Unless you empower your stand-in the right way, it hardly puts them in a position to be a decision-maker or to hold the team and other leaders accountable to organizational goals.
   

The challenge is to make all these things happen within a learning culture and to build formal and informal systems that will support old and new leaders. Some ideas include:

• Classroom experiences - Great for best practice sharing and leader networking.
• Wikis and blogs - Useful for capturing ideas that team leaders and managers can search later.
• Just-in-time tools: Provide questions that any leader could access to help them facilitate a book or article review, meeting agendas, short instructional videos, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.
• E-learning – Distribute training that communicates the leadership platform provides consistency across the organization and the opportunity to learn at one’s own pace.
• Mentoring programs – These should be learning opportunities for mentors and mentees so be ready to help both sides prepare for the relationship.
• Blended programs – Well sure, why would you only choose one way when multiple means have the best chance of ensuring execution?
  

My Dawgs will come out of their slump (soon I hope) and at least we beat Georgia Tech. Your business has the chance to avoid dips in performance by making sure leaders are in the wings and engaged in the business rather than feeling ignored and constantly put off. By continuing to develop future leaders and keep them engaged in the growth of the organization, you can keep your business growing and thriving.