Change, Growth, and Succession

It ends with a mass exodus. It begins with key talent frustrated with lack of support being lured to greener pastures. The mounting turnover consumes too much of leadership’s time and attention. The team soon spirals to survival mode where tasks related to mission and vision become low priorities. All effort is focused on urgent recruitment, just-in-time training, and plugging holes. Although painful, it’s perfect timing to reboot the culture.

Every relationship, team, and organization can become more effective. Few, however, are ready to take on the burden of evolving. Living, breathing ecosystems are always in a temporary stage of development. Teams, therefore, are constantly faced with a choice about attending to or ignoring the symptoms indicating the need to adapt. Most opt for the comfort and consequences of staying the same. Consider these six motives for embracing the discomfort of growth and moving your team forward:

Team succession happens formally and informally. When formal, high potential talent is promoted to greater responsibility under the mentorship of someone above them on the organizational chart. Often, a new title gets printed on a business card. When informal, the daily delivery of skill, initiative, and engagement creates opportunities that can’t help but get noticed. While there may not be a new title on the business card, these teammates end up under someone’s wing where resources and support can have immediate bearing. Because they’ve been sponsored, every day is a job interview. So, what’s the difference between mentorship and sponsorship?

As much a sameness brings comfort, the constant nature of change forces us to become experts at managing transitions. Changing jobs. Changing seasons. Changing teammates. Changing leadership. Changing health. Changing direction. Changing priorities. Regardless of what event defines the transition, adapting has two vital components: mourning loss and refocusing on new circumstances. Name the pain and then work the problem. Consider these case examples:

Whenever you add or subtract a member, you have a new team. Depending on the role and profile of the transition, the change can be significant. To minimize the impact, most teams try to keep as much the same as possible. Let the new members join the old club. The healthiest teams recognize the window of opportunity to re-anchor mission, values, and engagement. Here’s how:

Unfortunately for most teams, succession decisions are reactive. A valuable talent got hit by the proverbial bus and the scramble ensued. A top performer was lured away by a shiny opportunity taking her client list with her. Leadership neglected to read the tea leaves of dissatisfaction and had to devote costly energy and attention to recruitment rather than retention. What might happen if the future was predictable? How might an organization approach succession planning?

We are about five years away from the boomer generation becoming a minority in the workforce. The change in demographics has businesses dusting off succession planning documents and asking increasingly urgent questions about strategic direction, talent quality, bench strength, and legacy. Leaders face a critical choice to begin the process: set the table for my successor or leave a mess for someone else to clean up?

We all perform well under normal circumstances. Poise stands out under stress. When the heat is turned up, look for the teammate with the best coping skills to lead the way. That’s not always the designated leader. It’s usually whoever has the most relevant experience with managing crisis effectively. Often, it’s the teammate with a trauma history. Do you know anyone who has been through a traumatic event?

One of the pleasant surprises of the 2014 World Cup is the artistry coming from unexpected teams and unheralded talent. Odds-makers and media experts have been forced to recalibrate their predictions. Savvy veterans are welcoming their youthful successors with appreciative celebration. The professional sports industry seems to embrace the seasonality of teams more effectively than other business sectors. Perhaps we should take a lesson.

The rising star was humbled by receiving an award named for a former rising star that had forged a legacy in the organization. Who knows, someday an award might be christened in her honor and bestowed upon one of her children’s peers. Succession moves in dynamic cycles as the wealth of knowledge is passed on and new leaders are created.

Sitting in the lobby waiting to be greeted by the company’s chief human resources officer, I took in the decor. Workspace design is often the first clue to an organization’s mission. This particular organization was the parent company for over a dozen global businesses. Each business logo was proudly displayed on a sign attached to a post embedded deeply into a massive foundation of granite. The message was clear.

An international gathering of small business owners attracted a diverse crowd at this year’s ISSA North America 2012 convention in Chicago’s McCormick Place. The convention floor was crawling with entrepreneurs in search of innovative products and methods. When I arrived at the podium to deliver my keynote address, “Building Great Teams,” the audience was already energized. I began my presentation with a story.