Let’s face it — no one stays in the same seat forever. Leaders retire, move on, or sometimes make a sudden career change that surprises everyone. That’s where succession planning comes in. 

A smart, forward-thinking succession plan ensures that when someone steps down, someone else is ready to step up — without missing a beat. It keeps the momentum going, protects hard-earned progress, and sends a strong message to your team: We believe in growing from within.

Done well, succession planning ensures your organization is prepared — not just to survive leadership transitions, but to thrive through them. It helps you retain top talent, allocate development resources efficiently, and demonstrate a commitment to long-term growth.

Here are the four key steps for succession planning:

• Identify critical roles and competencies : Go beyond titles and think about impact. Which roles are essential to your organization’s success? What technical skills and leadership behaviors are necessary to thrive in those positions? Clarifying these competencies helps you define the kind of leadership your organization needs to succeed.
• Create targeted development plans : Once you’ve identified high-potential individuals, tailor growth opportunities to bridge their current capabilities with future leadership needs. This can include mentorship, cross-functional projects, leadership coaching, or stretch assignments. Aligning development plans with both individual career aspirations and organizational goals boosts motivation and ensures your bench strength is both deep and strategic.
• Communicate transparently : Letting team members know they’re being considered for future leadership isn’t just a morale booster — it’s a retention strategy. When employees feel seen and supported, they’re more likely to stay engaged and committed. Encourage open dialogue about career paths, readiness expectations, and the timelines for progression. Transparency builds a culture of trust and clarity.
• Track progress and refine your approach : Effective succession planning is dynamic, not static. Regularly revisit your plans, check in on development goals, and adjust based on performance, feedback, and evolving business needs. Use measurable outcomes — such as readiness assessments, promotion rates, or engagement surveys — to gauge effectiveness.

Companies that prioritize this work today will be better positioned to lead tomorrow. Leadership transitions aren’t a matter of if, but a matter of when.

If your organization is ready to take the next step in building a resilient leadership pipeline, explore PeopleThink’s Keep it Real Leadership Program. It’s designed to help you identify and grow the leaders of tomorrow—today. Let’s future-proof your team together.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Who’s Next? Why Succession Planning Deserves a Seat at the Table appeared first on PeopleThink.

While this approach can test and build resilience, it is generally not considered an effective or responsible method for leadership development.

The “sink or swim” approach can lead to high levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout, and it may not be suitable for everyone. This is both unfair to the new leader and detrimental to the organization.

True leadership development focuses on nurturing and empowering individuals to become effective leaders by helping them acquire the skills, knowledge, and experiences needed to excel in their roles while providing appropriate guidance and support along the way.

Here is what a good leadership development program should include:

• Structure. Effective leadership development programs typically involve a more structured and supportive approach. They provide individuals with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to succeed in leadership roles. This may include mentorship, coaching, training, feedback, and opportunities for growth and development.
• Lessons on “soft skills.” Soft skills include emotional intelligence, self-awareness, problem-solving, and good communication. While some of these skills might be inherent in a new leader, being able to apply them effectively while adapting to leading people requires coaching and support.
• Opportunities to receive feedback. Feedback is an opportunity for growth. Research shows that people who seek feedback have higher performance ratings and are happier overall.
• Ongoing support. Leadership development is an ongoing process. As companies change or team conflicts arise, it might be tricky to adapt. Having the right mentor or coach to support you along the way will allow you to become the best leader you can be.

New leader training must be a key component of every organization’s learning and development plan. It should not be just a one-day event around policies, performance reviews, and disciplinary actions. It needs to be structured in a way that gives participants time to apply their learning, receive feedback, and get the ongoing support necessary (mentoring, coaching) to grow into the next line of senior leaders and executives.

Remember, sink or swim is NOT leadership training! Invest in the right leadership development program, so you and your team can succeed.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Say Goodbye to the “Sink or Swim” Leadership Approach appeared first on PeopleThink.

Here’s a reality check. There’s always more to learn.

Stanford University Psychology Professor Carol Dweck has done extensive research on achievement and success. In this work, she discovered that people tend to have one of two mindsets – a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.

People with a fixed mindset believe that their innate qualities, such as intelligence or talent, are fixed traits and that any success they achieve is directly attributable to those qualities. Conversely, people with a growth mindset believe that their innate qualities are just a starting point and that those qualities can be further developed through hard work and dedication.

Dweck found that cultivating a growth mindset can be transformative in various aspects of life, including personal development, career advancement, and — most importantly — leadership.

The best leaders are those who commit themselves to continuous learning and development. Great leaders commit to learning beyond just skills. It’s about identifying and developing the personal behaviors to help you lead effectively.

So how do you do it?

• Adopt the right mindset. Be curious and admit that you still have room for improvement. Recognize that investing the time to do so will not only benefit you but will also benefit your team.
• Reflect and identify gaps. What are the areas you need to develop to become the leader you want (and need) to be? Do some self-reflection to make a list, and then get some feedback from others (here’s where you develop “accepting feedback.”)
• Create a plan. Select one or two areas that you will focus on in the next three months. Do some research to find resources and opportunities to develop and practice those skills/behaviors. Carve out and schedule the time.
• Seek mentorship and coaching. Enroll in leadership development programs, workshops, and online courses. Find a mentor or coach who can provide guidance, feedback, and support in your leadership journey. Regularly engage in mentorship conversations to gain insights and wisdom from experienced leaders.

Remember that learning is an ongoing process, and there is always room for growth and improvement. As a leader, your commitment to learning not only benefits you personally but also positively impacts your team and organization as you continuously evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of leadership and business.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post The Power of Learning – Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset! appeared first on PeopleThink.

Each generation brings its own particular strengths and “peculiarities” to the team. Stereotypes abound in today’s workplaces, and leaders struggle to determine how best to engage and retain team members from these five age groups.

I personally think it’s simple: value the differences.

As Stephen Covey said, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”

Recognize that each individual brings to the workplace different experiences, knowledge, belief systems, ideas, skills, communication styles, fears, hopes, and dreams. No matter the age or generation, there are differences.

With that in mind, here are my tips for managing and working effectively on a multi-generational team.

• Focus on the VALUE each generation brings to the workplace. Respect the experience of older team members while also valuing the fresh perspectives that younger team members bring. Remember that it’s about talent…not age…
• Acknowledge and embrace the DIVERSITY of the generations. Celebrate birthdays, milestones, and achievements to build a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. Take the time to learn about the characteristics and tendencies of different age groups (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, etc.) to understand their perspectives better.
• Use multiple communication streams to address each person’s style. Recognize that different generations may have varying work styles. Some may prefer face-to-face meetings, while others might be more comfortable with virtual communication. Be flexible and adaptable in accommodating these preferences.
• Learn from the other generations on your team. Create opportunities for team members of different ages to work together. Encourage cross-mentoring, where older employees share their knowledge and younger employees offer insights into new technologies and trends. This can help bridge generation gaps and foster a sense of unity within the team.
• Promote open communication. Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. Encourage open dialogue that respects each person’s viewpoint, regardless of age.
• Keep learning. Each generation has its own values, communication preferences, and work habits. Be open to continuously learning about generational trends and adapting your leadership approach accordingly. What works well today might need adjustments in the future.

Leading a team with people of different ages can be both rewarding and challenging. Remember, effective leadership involves understanding and respecting individual differences while fostering a cohesive and collaborative team environment. By embracing these tips, you can lead a multi-generational team to success.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Valuing Generational Differences appeared first on PeopleThink.

Many researchers have identified a correlation between an employee’s personal and professional development, and an organization’s growth as a whole.

Increased job satisfaction, higher employee engagement, improved retention, enhanced productivity, and a more skilled and adaptable workforce are some of the benefits of employee development.

Companies that invest in their employees’ development demonstrate a commitment to their growth, which can lead to a positive organizational culture and a competitive edge in the market.

If you want to keep your people and grow your business, you must provide opportunities for your team to learn and grow. The best way to do that is by creating and implementing effective employee development programs.

Here’s How.

Ensure roles and responsibilities are well-defined.
Roles often morph over time as responsibilities expand or business needs change. This can be frustrating to the individual in the role – and detrimental to the team/organization – if training around new skill requirements and responsibilities isn’t included with the change. It’s also difficult to hire for, train for or promote someone into that role if you haven’t updated the current skills and responsibilities for the role.

Create career path outlines.
Employees want to know what growth opportunities are available in the organization. Create career path outlines for each job family to help employees build personal development plans.

Make performance management an ongoing process.
The annual performance review – dreaded by managers and hated by employees – typically focuses on weaknesses and rarely includes a development component. How inspiring is that? Effective performance management is a continuous process (not an event) and consists of a development component that builds on strengths and develops areas that are not strengths.

Develop for future needs.
Development plans should consider organizational goals and the skills and behaviors employees will need to contribute to achieving those goals. They should also take into account the skills and behaviors employees will need in the future to succeed (yes, even if it’s not in your organization). Make a list of top skills required and design training programs to help them acquire those skills.

Consider employee goals and interests.
It’s also essential that individual employee career goals and personal interests be considered. All too often, employees have skills and talents that are under-utilized. Take the time to identify, develop, and leverage those hidden talents and unspoken interests. Employees want to use their strengths and feel that they’re contributing to the organization in a meaningful way.

Implementing and supporting leadership development and training programs for your employees will help them grow and develop their style and prepare them to lead their teams in the future.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Employee Development: Building a CULTURE of Learning! appeared first on PeopleThink.

A recent Forbes article explains how high-trust work environments enable team members to feel valued, heard, and capable of doing their best work.

Here are my tips for establishing trust:

Be willing to put in the work. Know that trust takes time to build and must be earned. Don’t expect people to trust you just because you are now their leader. Be sure that your actions align with your words and that you tell the truth. Always. Remember that trust can be easily broken and is very difficult to repair.

Communicate honestly. Communicate clearly and regularly. Share as much as you can, especially about business information that may impact the team or their work. Listen. Ask for feedback, ideas, solutions. Model open, honest and respectful communication so the team will mirror that among themselves.

Be accountable. Do what you say you are going to do. Be sure everyone clearly understands expectations and the impact of not meeting those expectations. Challenge your team to higher performance goals and establish an environment where they hold themselves – and each other – accountable for results.  Include regular progress reports, open sharing of mistakes and lessons learned, and team discussions on how to move through roadblocks.

Be consistent. Don’t keep changing the rules or make rules apply to some and not to others. When something changes, explain why and encourage a dialogue around it. Oh, and did I say, “listen”?

Model the behavior. To earn trust, you must show trust. Set clear goals and expectations and then trust your team to do what they were hired to do.  When something goes wrong, get all the facts before drawing a conclusion. Respond in a constructive, consistent way.

Be truthful. Always. Trust is the key ingredient to all successful relationships. Tell the truth. As my dad used to say, “One lie leads to another, and before you know it, you’ve forgotten the first lie you told.”

“Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create.” – Stephen Covey

Till next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Trust in the Workplace  appeared first on PeopleThink.

Here are 5 common team challenges and ideas on what a leader can do to navigate these challenges.

1) Lack of trust. This refers to trust in you and in each other. A lack of trust impairs productivity and may lead to missed deadlines, milestones and even project failure.

Solution: Build trust by being very clear about team purpose, individual roles, and expectations. Be open, honest and consistent. Be willing to tackle tough issues and to stand up for the team. Demonstrate empathy. And demonstrate that you trust the members of your team.

2) Poor communication. Infrequent, incomplete or disrespectful communication impacts employee engagement and may lead to errors or intra-team conflict, ultimately affecting productivity and goals.

Solution: Communicate clearly and regularly. Share as much as you can, especially about business information that may impact the team or their work. Listen. Ask for feedback, ideas, solutions. Model open, honest and respectful communication so the team will mirror that among themselves.

3) Lack of accountability. When people aren’t held accountable for the quality and timeliness of their work others may have to pick up the slack resulting in conflict or missed deadlines or – at worst – project failure.

Solution: Be sure everyone clearly understands expectations and the impact of not meeting those expectations. Challenge your team to higher performance goals and establish an environment where they hold themselves – and each other – accountable for results.  Include regular progress reports, open sharing of mistakes and lessons learned, and team discussions on how to move through roadblocks.

4) Conflict and tension. Some conflict is good for airing different ideas. However, when left unchecked or unmanaged, it can lead to distrust in the leader and impair team progress.

Solution: Harness the power of diverse thinking. Create an environment that encourages fresh ideas and approaches. Reach out to those who are less vocal to ensure that their ideas get added to the mix. When everyone feels heard and appreciated, “conflicts” become productive discussions. When tension arises between team members, facilitate a discussion to get to the root of the problem. Overlap of responsibilities, perceived lack of effort or contribution by a team member, and personality differences are common causes.

5) Working in silos. When team members each march to their own drum, chaos ensues, wasting precious time and resources.

Solution: Be sure everyone has a clear understanding of their role, other team members’ roles and the importance and interdependence of each role and task in achieving team goals. Establishing this knowledge up front will prevent duplication of effort, project delays and team conflict.

And remember, the best teams bring diverse personalities, skills and experience to the table. Recognizing the value that each individual’s skills and traits contribute to the team and how they complement each other will help you lay the groundwork for a well-functioning, high-performing team. To learn more on how to lead efficiently, register for my monthly Leadership Power Hour.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Leading Through Hybrid Workplace Challenges appeared first on PeopleThink.

TEN TIPS ON HOW TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK WELL:

1. Ask for it.  Asking others for feedback does a number of things: first, it puts the ball in your court about when you receive feedback and what you get feedback on.  Second, it lets people know that you are interested in improving, which can build a close and more connected relationship.  Third, it allows you to get feedback in bite-sized increments, which is often more appealing.

2. Get it often.  Don’t wait till your annual review to find out how your boss thinks you’re doing.  Don’t wait till ‘never’ to find out what your colleagues think about working with you. Make it a habit to check in with people frequently.  This again allows you to get feedback in small doses, and frequently more specific feedback if you ask about performance on a particular project rather than your overall performance over the past quarter.

3. Ask the hard people. The people that are easiest to ask are usually the ones we naturally ‘sync’ with best, so they’re the ones most likely to give positive feedback with little room for growth. But also ask the people you don’t get along with.  They will have feedback for you that’s on your growing edge.  The bonus is that the very act of asking them may bring you closer together!

4. Listen fully.  When someone is generous enough to provide feedback, make sure you listen carefully to what they have to say, even if there’s a voice inside screaming “but that’s not what I meant!” or “I do NOT do that!”  If you get defensive or argue with their feedback once you’ve asked for it, you can bet they won’t be so generous as to offer you honest feedback in the future!  Breathe, take notes and keep listening.

5. Ask questions.  Make sure you fully understand what they mean.  Be curious about what would have had something go better or what alternative they’d like to see.  You may not take them up on their suggestions, but it will help you understand the direction of their comments.

6. Know it’s not about you.  Of course, it is about you, but it’s about your behavior, your attitude or your words.  Whatever they say does not alter the beautiful human being that you are.  It’s just stuff: things that you can alter.  Make sure you’re in touch with your spiritual side, or your higher self, or whatever grounds you when you ask for feedback so you can keep perspective.

7. Handle your emotions offline.  If you do have an emotional reaction to something someone says, make sure you handle your reaction elsewhere. If you start to have a reaction in front of them it’s fine to say “wow, that’s surprising” or even “wow, that hurts” as long as you also thank them for their candor and tell them how much you appreciate it.  If they had the courage to tell you something hard to say or hear, you owe them gratitude for their courage and candor.  Your emotional reaction is yours to handle separately.  Make sure you do handle it!  Cry to your spouse, scream in a pillow, or lift weights till your arms hurt.  You must get that response OUT in order to address any of the items of feedback with perspective and power.

8. Take what you like and leave the rest.  You can’t address or work on anything if it’s not something you are willing to empower.  In other words, if someone says you speak too much in meetings but after looking at it, you decide that’s not feedback you want to work on, then fine, leave that feedback out of your development plan and your life.  Maybe you’ll come back to it later, but if you’re not ready to work on it, pretending to or trying to because you “should” won’t stick. One note here: there is always likely to be feedback you don’t agree with right off the bat. Of course!  So pay extra attention to the comments you think are way off base – there’s likely gold in them!

9. Take action.  Awareness is useless without action. Create a plan to address the feedback you want to take on, and make sure you do it (get a coach or accountability partner if it helps!)

10. Circle back.  Nothing says “I heard you” better than hearing the feedback, working on the items someone mentioned and then circling back with them to see how it’s going from their perspective. You will establish trust and support in those relationships in addition to getting additional feedback!

Join my Keep It Real (KIR) Leadership Development Program where I go further in depth of each step. In the KIR leadership program – together we will work through real-time, practical applications to better prepare you and strengthen leadership skills.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Accepting Feedback As a Leader appeared first on PeopleThink.

To get a closer view on what’s happening in corporate today, PeopleThink interviewed human resources professionals across a variety of industries – hi-tech, biotech, professional services, architecture, nonprofit and healthcare. Despite differences in their core businesses, when it comes to the people component, there were a number of common themes that emerged:  keeping employees engaged and motivated, retaining top talent, having the right people in the right positions, and ensuring that there is sufficient “bench strength” for the next line of leadership.  Here are some of their comments.

“We need to continue to invest in the people infrastructure. Our employees need to have development plans in place so they can see there is a future with the organization.”

“We have to put the needs and future of our organization first, and then plan backwards: provide development and promotion opportunities; recruit the right talent.”

“Build the talent road map. What will the organization’s people needs be one to three years out? What competencies? What level of employees? Build the talent plan to move, grow and flex with the organization’s business needs.”

“It’s important to maintain company culture. One of the things I hear on a regular basis is that people want to work here because of the culture and how employees are treated. It comes from the top. How we treat people is how we keep our people.”

“Each leader of the organization needs to have a successor they are training and preparing for the next role. Leadership can be viewed as a second-tier component of the business; however, what we know is that without strong leadership, the organization will not be able to sustain its growth.”

The clear message is that organizations need to recognize that their people are the lifeblood of the business. Don’t take your employees for granted. As the economy continues to improve and there are options for them elsewhere, you want to keep those employees in your organization.  Find creative ways to develop and challenge them. Let them know they are valued, and that they are a critical component to the business moving forward.  Build succession plans to ensure that your bench strength is available and ready to grow the business.

And most of all, don’t forget the old adage…treat your employees the way you want to be treated. It will pay off in leaps and bounds in the future.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Invest in Your People – Invest in Your Future appeared first on PeopleThink.

With most organizations trying to do more with fewer resources, it’s easy to put things like succession planning on the back burner. And if things are going well, it’s easy to get complacent about the leadership team in place. And yet, even the most loyal of leaders may not be able to resist an incredible outside opportunity, or may decide to retire. Do you have the “bench strength” prepared to step up to the plate?

There are myriad benefits to succession planning. In addition to building your “bench strength,” it engages top talent and improves employee loyalty; identifies and develops critical skills and competencies; uses training dollars more efficiently; and saves money by reducing turnover.

There are four key steps to succession planning:
1. Identify the critical talent needed, i.e., key skills and competencies,
2. Create individual development plans for high potential employees, based on the key skills and competencies needed, and connect those plans to corporate goals,
3. Communicate the succession plan to targeted individuals so they know they have a stake in the future of the company and vice versa, and
4. Validate and improve the program through employee feedback and measurable results.

As the economy improves and companies focus less on how to survive and more on how to thrive, succession planning becomes a key strategic lever. Knowledge and wisdom from retiring or exiting leaders needs to be transferred to those on the bench. High potential employees need to be retained and developed to guide the organization to the next level. And a plan for continually supplying the leadership pipeline needs to become a part of the culture. Succession planning is not a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have.

Till next time,
Karen

The post Succession Planning – Not a Nice-to-Have, a MUST-HAVE appeared first on PeopleThink.

Companies succeed in large part because of strong leadership. And yet, according to a recent ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) study, less than half of the companies surveyed had plans in place to ensure ongoing leadership strength. Of those who did have succession plans in place, only 14% characterized their succession plans as effective.

Effective succession planning involves four key steps:

1. Identify the critical talent needed – key skills and competencies
2. Create individual development plans for high potential employees, based on the key skills and competencies needed, and connect those plans to corporate goals
3. Communicate the succession plan to targeted individuals so they know they have a stake in the future of the company and vice versa
4. Validate and improve the program through employee feedback and measurable results

As companies focus less on how to survive and more on how to thrive, succession planning becomes a key strategic lever. Knowledge and wisdom from leaders need to be transferred to those on the bench. High potential employees need to be retained and developed to guide the organization to the next level. And a plan for continually supplying the leadership pipeline needs to become a part of the culture.

Succession planning is not a nice to have. It is a must have.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Building Your Bench Strength – The 4 Key Steps appeared first on PeopleThink.