Succession planning is a critical aspect of organisational management that ensures the continuity of leadership and the seamless transition of key roles within a company, every company has to consider what comes next as key leaders exit, retire or move on. An effective succession planning template is a roadmap for identifying and developing internal talent, reducing the risks associated with leadership gaps, and developing a culture of growth and stability.
Here, we explore the significance of succession planning and provide a guide to creating a succession planning template for your organisation.
1. Define the Scope
Start by clarifying:
- Which roles are critical? Focus on leadership, operationally vital, and client-facing roles where disruption would carry significant risk.
- What’s the objective? Is this to ensure continuity, develop internal talent, prepare for sale, or de-risk founder reliance?
Define this up front to ensure the plan is purposeful—not just procedural.
2. Establish Success Criteria
For each critical role:
- Define key accountabilities.
- Map out essential skills, behaviours, qualifications, and experience.
- Identify what “ready now” vs “ready in future” looks like.
- Uncover existing personality traits.
- Conduct capability and aptitude benchmark assessments.
This provides a benchmark against which to assess successors and development needs.
3. Talent Inventory
Assess your current internal talent pool:
- Who are your potential successors?
- What is their level of readiness?
- What are the gaps?
- How do these individuals objectively compare with the benchmark?
- What would be needed, in how long, to be ready to lead?
Use a structured approach such as a 9-box grid, readiness matrix, or simple traffic-light system to create a visual snapshot of where people stand.
4. Development Planning
Once gaps are identified, align development actions to future needs:
- Stretch projects
- Executive coaching or mentoring
- Secondments or role rotations
- Formal development education
Document the action, owner, timescale and success criteria for each development intervention.
5. Risk Assessment
Include a risk matrix that highlights:
- Roles with no successor
- Individuals with high flight risk
- Single points of failure
This allows proactive planning and prioritisation of succession interventions.
6. Monitoring & Review
Succession planning isn’t a one-off exercise. Build in:
- Regular review cycles (e.g. quarterly or biannually)
- Ownership and accountability (e.g. line managers, HR, board)
- Clear reporting format to track progress
7. Template Structure (Example)
Here’s a simplified structure to include in your succession ‘dashboard’ template:
| Role | Incumbent | Successor(s) | Readiness | Development Actions | Risk Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Manager | Jane Doe | Mark Smith | 1–2 years | Strategic projects; mentoring | Medium | Needs exposure to board |
Expand as needed for your organisation’s size and complexity.
Final Thoughts
Succession planning isn’t just about replacing people—it’s about building resilience, unlocking internal potential, and ensuring continuity through change. A clear, actionable template turns good intent into measurable progress.
If you’re considering external support with a bespoke succession plan built for your business, or help integrating this with leadership development, CJPI can support you.
