“THE OLD ORDER PASSETH.” IN TIMES OF OLD, THIS IS THE
manner in which English citizens were informed that the former
king had died (or been dispatched in treason) and that a successor,
usually an heir, had been elevated to the throne. When a comparable event takes place in business, our first inclination is to think of
issues in business continuity, of top leadership succession. But the
issue is broader, deeper, and more pervasive than machinations in
the C-suite.
It will happen sooner or later. You’ll have done all the right
things, built an “A” team, and backed it up with two-deep talent for
the future. Then, the skies will open, dumping any number of things
all over your desk.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a line supervisor, a mid-manager,
a VP with global responsibility, even a CEO. Whatever your role in
the supply chain, you are going to have to make tough calls—and
more than once—about recruiting, hiring, or promoting your successor (or replacing your loyal wingman).
WHERE TO BEGIN – THE OPENING SHOTS
So much to consider, and quickly. One thing we
know for sure is based on the principle that people get promoted to their level of incompetence.
Basically, the Peter Principle (the brainchild of
USC’s Laurence Peter) suggests that the best
forklift driver may not be the best choice to lead
an operation team, or that the best order picker
is not necessarily a natural line supervisor in
fulfillment. The head of sourcing and procurement is not a slam dunk to take over full supply
chain management leadership, and the North
American transportation savant may not be the greatest pick to take
charge of global logistics and supply chain management.
We have had this drummed into our heads for decades, but, under
stress, we forget—or we feel obliged to somehow reward the folks
who have worked like dogs, against all odds, to get the job done.
But we must be prepared for the likelihood that the best forklift
operator will find almost any excuse to tool around the DC instead
of leading, managing, and developing the staff. The world-class
order picker/packer will, with little to no provocation, jump in to
bail out a tough wave rather than motivate and measure the crew,
or remove performance barriers and improve processes. The manager thrust into a leadership role will continue to make sure that
all of the paper clips have been accounted for instead of dealing
forthrightly with the essential question of why paper clips are really
needed at all.
BY ART VAN BODEGRAVEN AND
KENNETH B. ACKERMAN basictraining
The King is dead. Long live the King!
NEXT STEPS?
Or maybe all those possibilities are the right selections. What’s important is not what they’ve done
but what the new job requires—skills, experience,
intelligence, people capabilities, analytic strengths,
problem-solving ability, values, vision, whatever.
If the “natural” candidates don’t have the goods,
can they acquire what’s missing? Hard skills, soft
skills, contextual vision. Can you build from within, or must you go outside? Or is there a mix-and-match solution?
BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING
The core question is what is needed, whatever
the position and scope of responsibilities. Skills,
talents, experience—sure. But what about intrinsic personal qualities and how
those can increase the odds of
success?
What were the drivers of the
departed’s behaviors: his or her
motivations, communications
abilities and styles, and working and decision-making preferences? Does the replacement
need these—or is a change in
order to elevate unit and organizational performance?
All too often, organizations
fall into the trap of selecting candidates because “they fit our culture” or
because “they are just like us.” This is a deadly
protracted downward path. Truly mature, confident, and self-challenging organizations deliberately seek out diversity in styles, because teams of
leaders that are incapable of groupthink generally
develop superior programs and solutions.
This vital element is too often ignored in considering how, and with whom, to replace those individuals who are moving on or moving up. Don’t
be one of those looking for the comfort of the
same when the different might be exactly what’s
called for. But also bear in mind that getting different solely for the sake of difference can lead to a
crash of epic consequences.
