Mentoring can make your succession plan better

The owners of many companies launch their enterprises with a business plan — a written document outlining the company’s strategic objectives and practical means of accomplishing them. Likewise, many owners leave their businesses via a succession plan, a written document outlining how the company’s ownership will transition.

Often, however, these two documents never cross paths, much less join toward a common goal. If this is the case with your business, and you’ve already identified your likely successor, mentoring can make your succession plan better by uniting it with your business plan.

Establish trust

One of the principles of mentoring is establishing a relationship based on mutual respect and trust. So, as your company evolves, you’ll need to ensure your successor is learning the skills and gaining the knowledge he or she will need to keep your business competitive and, ideally, take it to higher levels of success.

Let’s say, for example, that your company has always just sold widgets and is now expanding to help clients service the widgets. You’ll need to make both strategic and operational changes so that your successor and staff can handle a diversified business that’s both product- and service-based. Under a mentoring relationship, you can disclose these plans to your successor in a confidential setting and start laying the groundwork with him or her to move the business in the new direction.

Meet regularly

Another principle of mentoring is making a definite commitment of time and face-to-face contact. So meet with your successor often. The first days of running a company are particularly stressful. But coaching during the period leading up to the transition can help successors manage the pressures.

During this time, you can also provide a secure environment for your successor to apply these new abilities and assume more of your responsibilities. To maximize your mentoring efforts, have your successor meet monthly with key personnel to discuss current matters, growth and operations strategies, your and your competitors’ products and services, and industry trends.

Create an effective plan

These are but two of many principles of mentoring. Please contact our firm for more help maximizing the effectiveness of your succession plan.

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