Succession Planning: Part II

A friend has been helping me develop a succession plan for the ministry of Unconventional Business Network. One of the first steps he recommended was to consider the vision I have for the ministry 10 years down the road.

To help with that step, I began developing a futuristic organizational chart. Asking the question, “What kind of people will we need and how many?” helps determine what skills the organization will need and what competencies are necessary for developing future leaders.

In Ecclesiastes 2:21, Solomon wrote, “For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it.”

King Solomon does not desire to hand his work over to someone who has not toiled for it. However, that does not mean there are not people who have toiled similarly. You can find people who share your work ethic and impart to them the vision you have for your business.

You won’t be able to perfectly replicate the team or dynamic you have now, but you can build a team that can continue developing your business into a successful enterprise.

Proactively determining your organization’s future leadership needs will help you develop a sustainable organization.

Questions for Reflection

• How do you foresee your company developing? What will it need in the future? How might you build flexibility into your company to handle the needs you have not anticipated?
• Where can you look for new team members? Are you screening solely for skill sets or are you also looking for character traits as well?