CHALLENGE: Succession planning
Summary: You're keen to develop a second in command and have been slowly training Todd through delegation. You're not so sure that things are going to plan...
Written by Dominic Johnson 26 Jun 2020

Image credit: JESHOOTS on Unsplash

This challenge has run for our alumni already. Read how the coach and alumni responded in this PDF, or try the challenge yourself below.

You’ve been keen to develop a second in command as part of succession planning.

Todd has shown the most promise as he is a high performer, experienced, and is respected by others. You’ve been delegating the running of the daily start up meeting to Todd and invested quite a bit of time to ensure a good handover. You have had:

  • Todd observe a couple of meetings that you led, and you debriefed him afterwards
  • Todd leading some of the meetings that you’ve observed and given him feedback afterwards
  • Provided Todd with a high-level agenda to work from Nowadays, you have to attend your manager’s briefings to all team leaders at the beginning of most days so you can’t attend your own team’s start up sessions – which is why you have decided to handover to Todd.

Todd has been running the team start up for a few months. For the few you have been able to attend and observe him in action, you have noticed:

  • Todd seems to be unable to progress from using a command and control style to a more facilitative and inclusive approach
  • Though no one in the team has complained, you’re worried that over time, Todd’s style will negatively affect the team’s enthusiastic participation in the meetings and sharing of ideas
  • Over recent weeks, you’ve provided Todd with feedback several times about his overly-directive style. He seems to accept this feedback, but he hasn’t changed his approach.

The challenge

What are all of your options and which of them are you most likely to adopt next? Provide reasoning as to which options you favour, and the order you’d carry them out. And for extra points - which options are you inclined to rule out?

This challenge has run for our alumni already. Read how the coach and alumni responded in this PDF.

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