A couple months ago, we asked you to weigh in on whether or not companies should tell employees that they’re part of the succession plan. Most of the people I heard from said “absolutely” – employees need to know where they stand.
Now I’d like to add the other thing employees need in this conversation – the ability to say “yes” or “no”.
Organizations could be setting themselves up for a big surprise if they make the assumption that everyone wants to be a part of the succession plan. This is simply not true. Yes, some employees will… but, others might not want the opportunity.
True story – years ago, my boss approached me about pursuing a career in operations. He felt that my expertise in human resources would make me very successful in operations management. While I was incredibly flattered, it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I can’t imagine what would have happened if the company put me on some fast-track to operations leadership without asking me first.
