You still don’t have a successor candidate? Is it because you're worried about your job security? And wouldn’t you like to get promoted? Are you afraid that your department will fall apart every time you take a vacation? And do you get called in from your vacation just because you're the only one who can fix the problem? Well, you should find a successor.
What's more, according to the management.about.com website, having a possible candidate for your position will foster your reputation as a confident and long-term oriented leader.
1. Failure to find a successor is perceived as a major failure
These days talent management is an essential competency of any leader. Do you have your successor? If you do, you are seen as a strategic and confident leader. If there is no one who can take over your responsibilities and roles, you are seen as a poor coach, and as someone who doesn’t know how to delegate and develop his own people.
2. Do you want to be irreplaceable?
Well, being irreplaceable seems like perfect job security. That might be OK if that's really what you want to do for the rest of your life. However, if you've ever thought about the possibility of being promoted, you are undermining your own chances. What manager would promote someone who is so important in his current position that there is no one who can replace him? When there is someone who can replace you, there is another benefit as well. You can take time off and not be afraid of what is going to go wrong.
How to plan your succession
1) Define future requirements – all the skills and experience for your position.
2) Assess the potential of your team and make a short list of possible successors.
3) Look for possible candidates from outside of your immediate team (you can discover potential successors a bit farther afield as well).
4) Share the succession plan with your boss and ask for his perspective.
-jk-