If you don’t know about the employment war at NBC, where have you been? Quick recap to catch you up if you are not in the know. In the fall, The Tonight show torch was passed on from Jay Leno to Conan O’Brien. NBC, at the final moment unsure of it’s ‘career succession plan’ which was years in the making, decided to ‘make a new job’ for Jay, doing the same thing.
Now comes the problem. Jay, the older wiser, long loved employee, is not doing as well as thought in his new role. His overall productivity (jokes and parodies) just isn’t working in his new role, and hence his profitability (measured in ratings, and advertising dollars) are sliding as well.
Conan on the other hand, has spent the last few years preparing for his new role, and now replacing the older employer (Jay) he is constantly being measured against the success of his predecessor – who is still working for the company! People being people, always expect the ‘newbie’ to be and do the work the same as the ‘old guy’ did it, and it doesn’t help to make a mark when the old guy is still around to compare too.
So, NBC has a real employee nightmare or quoting from a recent tweet I saw, a real ‘Tonight-mare!”.
In the ‘real’ world, companies can’t afford to behave this way. Companies need to be smart in today’s economy. We’ve had tremendous change over the last year, and we will continue experience workplace change, from now until 2018 when the remaining baby boomers are predicted to retire. As a successful company, now is the time to set the path for those qualified people you recognize as ‘Top Talent’. Succession planning is a great idea. As an employer, you want to be sure that you have the right person in place for the job, who is ready, knowledgeable and capable, when your current key person retires.
Start evaluating what your current top talent is doing. Before your key person is set to retire, say 18 months prior, ask them to keep a few notes on what they do well, and what they think would be challenges for a new person to take on in that role when they retire. As an employer keep detailed performance reviews so you have a good picture as to the extent of the skill needed to fill those shoes, expertise that you likely take for granted! Also keep notes on things you’ve recognized you need moving forward. Discuss with your future retiree if they see anyone internally as potential candidates – sometimes this is obvious, other times, not so much. Take time to begin to mentor that person, allow them to take on a few tasks that your current top talent does, allow them to slowly be involved in the decision making and problem solving as well.
You aren’t able to identify someone for succession planning in your company? Not to worry. Top talent is out there! Keep notes and detailed performance reviews as mentioned above, and work with your retiree to find that perfect replacement.
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Tags: Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, mentoring, retirement, Succession planning
Great piece! What about small to medium companies that never seem to handle succession well. Any ideas?
I don’t know much about succession planning, but what seems to me a related issue is the nature of the organization doing that planning.
In this case, I think the late-night-show model of monologue plus guests has faded significantly. Yes, millions still watch, but fewer and fewer in real time. Even Leno has not been as common a denominator for, say, work conversation as Carson was before him. That has at least as much to do with the product model, so to speak (format & time slot), as with the individual performer.
I’m also thinking of the stark contrasts between Reg Jones and Jack Welch (Jones’s choice to succeed him at GE); likewise between Welch and his successor, Jeff Immelt. I have no insight into why the choices were made, but I suspect the outgoing CEO saw the world changing and leaned toward someone with different strengths from his own.
Note also that the runners-up for the post of new CEO immediately went elsewhere. You can’t have everything.
A real challenge for leaders at any level is staying too long–either physically, as in remaining in place like a hereditary ruler, or emotionally, as in failing to recognize that maybe you don’t need eight divisions in your auto company.
I think really the same applies for all companies. Recognizing talent is the key! As a forward thinking company, great owners and high level managers should always be thinking of who they recognize as someone to replace them. It’s tough as most people think “replaced” as a negative, but they have to see the other side – new ideas, and growth opportunities!
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