| Dave Kurlan wrote an outstanding post: Bench | | | | reporting to me). With each of those people, I had a |
| Strength - The Key To Replacing Salespeople. He | | | | development plan in place-I wanted to prepare them to |
| mentioned that managers must always be recruiting. | | | | be able to step into the new role when and if the time |
| It's such a simple concept, but I am constantly amazed | | | | came. That development plan included not only |
| at how few managers-at all levels do this. | | | | coaching, but developmental experiences (e.g. special |
| Here's how the cycle goes. We have a bad performer | | | | projects), training and other activities. Every manager |
| in place, we worry about firing the person, because it | | | | must have a succession plan in place-not only for |
| leaves an open territory...too often we think coverage | | | | managers, but for everyone in the organization-"who |
| is more important than quality. Maybe the manager | | | | will I bring in if I need to replace a sales person?" |
| might start looking casually for someone, but the | | | | Managers must always be recruiting-even if they don't |
| normal day to day events slow the process down, | | | | have the headcount or a "req." By recruiting, I don't |
| consequently nothing is done for too long. | | | | mean a formal posting of a job or engaging a head |
| Or it may go like this: One day, our star performer | | | | hunter. The manager should always be networking, |
| walks in and resigns. We panic-she's going to leave a | | | | looking for great talent. At conferences, in meetings, |
| huge gap in our organization. We immediately look to | | | | maybe through tools like LinkedIn. A manager should |
| back-fill the position. In our haste to fill the position, we | | | | always have at least half a dozen people they would |
| may reduce our standards recruiting the wrong person. | | | | like to hire, if the occasion presents itself. This doesn't |
| The death spiral accelerates..... | | | | mean offering them a job, it just means getting to |
| Recruiting high quality people-even in this candidate rich | | | | know them well, understanding what their strengths |
| job market takes time. In my world, B2B, finding top | | | | and weaknesses are, exploring their own aspirations, |
| notch sales people takes at least 90 days, often | | | | exploring how well they might fit into your organization. |
| longer. Add to that the onboarding time and you have | | | | When the time comes (it is never if), you will be able to |
| a cycle of as much as 18 months before a person | | | | pick up the phone and call one of these people. Some |
| gets fully productive. Great managers significantly | | | | may be happy in their current roles and not willing to |
| reduce that time by always having candidates to back | | | | move, but several may be interested in a new |
| fill jobs in their back pockets (and by having great on | | | | opportunity. You get a great replacement, months |
| boarding programs-but I'll write about that later.) | | | | sooner than you normally would. |
| Organizations like GE and IBM have long been famous | | | | Great managers have succession plans in place for |
| for the succession planning. For every role-at least in | | | | every role in their organization. Great managers are |
| the executive and senior management levels, they | | | | always recruiting. If you lost one of your key people |
| have identified candidates that can potentially fill the | | | | today, can you pick up the phone and call half a dozen |
| each job. In every managerial or executive role I have | | | | potential replacements tomorrow? If you can't, you |
| held, I maintained a list of people that could back fill me | | | | need to start recruiting. |
| (as well as succession plans for all the managers | | | | |