Why you should prepare to leave your role right now

Imagine you’ve just started a fabulous new job. You’re feeling super enthusiastic about it, and potentially a little bit anxious in anticipation of what’s ahead. But you know you have lots to learn and loads of new people to meet - and this is the right next step for you in your career. 

If, by this point, you’re feeling a little tingly with excitement at the thought of a new role, NOW is the right time to start preparing for it. 

You may not want to leave for months, or even years yet. Even if you’ve been in your role a while and think this doesn’t apply to you, read on and I’ll convince you it does. 

How I prepared to leave my own role

I remember having this same feeling of excitement and anticipation earlier in my career, when I knew I was ready to start thinking about my next role. It took me a couple of years to prepare a colleague who I knew would be the perfect replacement for me. 

Back then, my colleague was on temporary contract and responsible for general administrative tasks. We moved her on to a permanent contract and started meeting every 3-6 months to discuss how we were getting on and share feedback. We took small steps together to teach her a new part of my role. Eventually, she mastered all aspects of my role and had the confidence and self-belief to take it on.  

At the same time, I raised my aspirations and plans to move on with my own manager. I explained how I believed it would work and would prove to him that I could take holidays and the department would run effectively without me. It was a balancing act to progress my colleague and develop my own skills to be ready for my next role. But I did it! 

I passed my role to a slick and effective successor who was as good as me in the role, if not better! She loved the job and the business and team continued to flourish in her capable hands. My manager remembers me for creating this legacy. 

Before I left, I put forward proposals to my manager for other people in the team to grow and develop into the roles they dreamed about. I moved on to a brilliant new opportunity that took my career beyond what I could imagine. It was a win-win for everyone involved.

Start taking small steps now

Can you think of anyone in your team or in your organisation who might take your role when you’re ready to leave?  

Thinking about this now is a brilliant way to really make your mark and create a legacy. You’ll be remembered for your future focus and for creating solutions for your employers rather than leaving them with the stress of a vacancy to fill.

If you begin taking small, slow steps now, it can really work. The key is to start early rather than trying to rush the steps as you’re about to leave your role.

Where to start with succession planning

  1. Be clear what is expected of you

  2. Ensure you gather all the skills, knowledge and behaviours you need to be effective and efficient in your role

  3. Get to know your team’s career aspirations - build trust from day one and show them you’re on their side. 

  4. Start thinking about your next role, what will it be?

  5. Start preparing yourself to gather the required skills, knowledge and behaviour required for your next role

  6. Support and guide people in your team to enhance their skills so they can fulfil aspects of your role

  7. Build a proposal to your manager to consider the future needs within your department/role

When you develop a succession planning mindset, every interaction with your team has a clear focus on setting them up for success. 

But I don’t intend to leave my role any time soon...

Even if you have no intention of leaving your job, you can still have a mindset of developing your team to take your job. Their next role might be in another organisation or a different part of the business. 

This is succession planning at its best; when the transition of people goes smoothly with little business disruption. Customers who know the team and have strong relationships with them will also benefit. They feel reassured and confident that their business needs are in good hands.

The people you help develop could go on to make their own mark and become the managers of the future. Isn’t that an amazing legacy to be proud of. 

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