Succession Thinking
Succession, the process of handover, is critical to sustainability, yet it is often poorly executed from start-ups to large organisations. If organisations do not develop a culture of succession, the founding owners and leaders will most likely not meet their personal aspirations and the organisation will not realise its full potential nor be sustainable in the long-term.
“Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
Greek Proverb
We love this quote – the true meaning in life is to do something meaningful, like planting a tree, which takes time and effort that you may not gain directly from, but you do it with the knowledge others in the future will benefit.
Trees are one of the world’s most valued treasures. They are the lungs and air-conditioning system of our planet. As well as providing habitat and food for birds and animals they provide us with cooling shade and make the world a visually more beautiful place. To sit in the shade of a magnificent old tree is a gift from someone that came before you. Trees can take many years to grow to a size where they provide a significant amount of shade yet people continue to plant them.
You want the leaders to consider how their business will stand well after they are no longer involved.
As succession thinkers, we do work that might not give individuals immediate gain but is important to the sustainability of the business in the future.
You can find a template to help with the handover of a role here.
Using the adapt team model