How can marketing leaders create effective succession in their teams?
Succession planning is an important aspect of talent management in any organisation, and marketing teams are no exception.
Effective succession planning ensures that there are qualified and competent employees who are ready to take on leadership roles within the team when the need arises.
“If you always hire people who are smaller than you are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. If, on the other hand, you always hire people who are bigger than you are, we shall become a company of giants.” – David Ogilvy, founder of Ogilvy & Mather
Here are some steps that marketing leaders can take to create effective succession in their teams:
1. Identify key positions: Start by identifying the key positions within your marketing team that are critical to the success of the organisation. These positions could include senior management roles, team leader positions, or other key positions that are critical to achieving your marketing objectives. If you're about to emabrk on a brand refresh, certain marketers lean into this area well. If you're about the go on a stretch of NPD launches, employees with strong project management skills, good cross-functional nous and a passion for new things will suit. Do a SWOT of your current team and match that up to your vision for the next 3-5 years.
2. Evaluate current talent: Evaluate your current talent pool to determine who has the potential to fill key positions in the future. Look for employees who have demonstrated a strong track record of performance, a willingness to learn and grow, and who possess the skills and competencies needed for the role. Challenge your team - with the right pushes and prods, they might surprise you.
3. Develop a talent pipeline: Once you have identified potential successors, develop a talent pipeline that provides them with opportunities to develop their skills and gain experience. This could involve providing training and development opportunities, assigning stretch assignments, and providing mentoring and coaching support. Align with HR and the Senior Leadership Team to ensure all of the right tools and programmes are in place.
“I will only hire someone to work directly for me if I would work for that person.” – Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
4. Communicate the plan: Communicate the succession plan to your team and ensure that everyone is aware of the opportunities available to them. Be transparent about the criteria for promotion and the timelines for advancement.
5. Monitor progress: Monitor the progress of your successors and provide ongoing feedback and coaching to help them develop the skills they need to be successful. Provide regular updates to the executive team and other stakeholders on the progress of your succession plan.
By following these steps, marketing leaders can create an effective succession plan that ensures the long-term success of their team and the organisation.
At POET, we're lucky enough to work with FMCG's brightest marketing and insights talent as well as some of the industry's leading companies. To have a chat about you and your team today, get in touch - you can arrange a call in line with your diary here
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