fresh year often requires us to look into
the future. Aside from year-long
strategic plans, every spas and
businesses also need to think longterm, such as identifying and
nurturing future leaders who can
step in in the event of a
departure of existing leadership.
Spa managers, owners and
directors must think long and
hard about succession.
Who is going to run this
place if I get sick? If I
have an accident? If I
decide to retire? It is an easy trap to fall into, working so hard
and getting so caught up in the daily demands of running a
business that succession plans are pushed very low on the
priority list.
Succession Planning
Forbes magazine contributor and founder of compensation
consulting firm, The Delves Group, Donald Delves said that
succession plans are “perhaps the most important job of
corporate boards. Without a strong succession-planning
program, companies are not prepared to fill openings created
by retirements or unexpected departures, nor are they able to
meet demands for additional corporate leaders resulting from
growth.” That is advice that should resonate with every
business owner, large or small.
Seeking potential leaders is also something that no
business can afford to leave until after the event. Delves
continues to say “the posture of many companies is to be
reactive, not proactive. Boards at reactive companies find
themselves conducting searches…an undertaking that most
directors find extremely challenging. Though executives in
senior positions at other companies may be ‘proven products,’
bringing them in does not guarantee successful leadership.”
January/February 2016
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PULSE 43