Many respected experts on effective leadership have reported that the hallmark of every successful organization is not only the caliber of its leadership, but also the continuity among those who lead their organizations toward higher levels of performance. Yet, within our American workforce, there is a declining attachment to employers. Across all levels of organizations, a less loyal and less knowledgeable labor force has a profoundly negative effect on these organizations’ productivity and profitability.
Unfortunately, the absence of established and effective succession planning exposes organizations to needless and avoidable breaks in continuity. It also predisposes them to lose business opportunities and revenue, experience unnecessary turnover, and deal with the consequences of decreased productivity.
Such breaks often result in an experienced leader being replaced by another individual requiring an extended “learning curve.” The new leader is unfamiliar with the culture, internal politics, unique product or service offerings, and the history of how things are accomplished in that organization. Also, without formalized continuity planning programs, leaders tend to choose successors whose backgrounds and leadership styles are similar to their own and who are not likely to meet their organizations’ longer term needs.
In contrast, effective succession planning offers many benefits. Research has found that those organizations providing clear opportunities for professional growth and promotion from within are significantly more profitable and successful. Giving employees these opportunities for career growth and development often leads to increased patient and employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention.
At Synergy, we have developed the following guidelines for effective succession planning:
Another key to effective succession planning is an organization’s ability to differentiate those employees who are most likely to develop and meet its needs from those who will not produce the desired return on investment. This is especially critical with leaders. In fact, Synergy’s national research study found that the cost of promoting the wrong person can easily cost an organization six to ten times that individual’s annual salary.
Synergy has found that one way to encourage those charged with ensuring the continued, long-term success of organizations is to ask them: “What would your organization do if it suddenly lost one or more executive team members?”
The Synergy Organization’s Executive Coaching services are invaluable when an organization or individual needs improved business results within a defined time frame. Synergy’s coaching is structured to produce quantifiable, positive output, as measured by improved performance and increased competitive advantage.
And, most important, Synergy only offers this service to viable candidates. Unlike conventional executive coaching approaches, Synergy recognizes that organizations “can’t coach anyone to do anything” and respects that client partners have limited resources and need to see a clear and demonstrated ROI.
Evidence-Based Executive Coaching promotes goal attainment, teamwork, and leadership engagement. Traditionally, senior executives have relied on training seminars, staff development, and personal development programs to facilitate their professional growth. Often, the investment in these “one-shot” training programs leads only to limited, short-term benefits and the enthusiasm and knowledge gained in these single training sessions typically become vague memories within a short period of time.
Synergy starts by conducting a brief yet targeted 360° organizational audit. This helps ensure a clear, common, and objective understanding of the real issues and challenges to be addressed and provides an accurate picture of the context in which the executive must operate. Synergy’s coaching facilitates the acquisition of skills that improve self-awareness and empower people to succeed in meeting both the organization’s goals and their own personal goals.
The many distinct advantages of Synergy‘s Evidence-Based Executive Coaching services include:
In the creation of a new position or the re-engineering of an existing one, organizations need to clearly define their expectations before hiring someone for that job. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”
When you consider that the direct and indirect costs of hiring the wrong leader can cost an organization an amount in excess of six to ten times that person’s annual salary, it’s easy to see why organizations can’t afford to be vague or “wrong” in their expectations.
Unfortunately, hiring managers usually have only a general idea of what the position should entail and struggle to accurately define the real and most critical prerequisites for success in the position. Synergy has found that much of this confusion results from undefined discrepancies between what clients believe they want and what they really need.
Also, complex organizations often fail to consider the multiple constituencies whose initial input and “buy-in” are absolutely vital. Synergy knows that these organizations must secure this input and “buy-in” throughout the development of these positions and during the recruitment and selection processes as well. Otherwise, they frequently set themselves up for the “Monday morning quarterback” or “sniper” syndrome in which those individuals excluded from the process challenge and second-guess the organization’s decisions and create what could have been avoidable problems for everyone involved.
Healthcare organizations often acknowledge that conflict exists within their teams, but they are often unable to accurately identify and resolve the core issues. Frequently, those internal people who are asked to clarify the real underlying concerns are too close to the situation, cannot leave their prior knowledge and biases at the door, and are conflict averse. In addition, employees may be unwilling to reveal all that they know to another internal person out of fear and uncertainty as to what will happen with this information and concern about potential negative repercussions to themselves.
Synergy’s Evidence-Based Conflict Resolution services help resolve issues with unbiased objectivity through proven experience and expertise.
Synergy offers an unbiased and confidential means of helping organizations get a clearer picture of the source of their conflict, in part by delving beyond surface issues that may mask the situation.
Synergy also offers a safe and proven means for employees to communicate their genuine concerns, frustrations, and suggestions for improvement in a positive and constructive manner. By allowing employees access to a constructive, non-punitive forum and the opportunity to be heard, clients: