Friends,
Over the week, I had a minor mishap that lead to a fracture in my dominant hand. This incident has made me reflect on times in my professional world where unexpeded health and life events suddenly and drastically changed the dynamics of my office and expected project outcomes with long term effects. I learned that it is important for us to create meaningful, easy to manage, and effective succession plans. A succession plan is a leadership plan for identifying and devoping staffing capacities to ensure staff members are capable of moving into key roles when unexpected events occur.
In invite you to review thes articles: What HR Managers Need to Know about Succession Planning and How to Get Your Company Succession Plan in Order (And Why Its So Important). Key elements in both articles identify the need for cross-training employees and developing their potential using professional development.
I'd love to hear your comments, concerns, and experiences.
- What have your experiences been with the sudden change in your organization? What strategies have you used to maintain your organizational goals?
- Based on the information in these articles, how will you approach a succession plan?
Sincerely,
Kathy Tracey
@Kathy_Tracey
Comments
Kathy and others,
Thanks Kathy for introducing this topic, and we'll all understand if your replies have to be limited given that you have fractured your dominant hand! I hope you heal as quickly as possible.
Cross-training in adult basic skills education often happens without planning because many programs now have increased work responsibilities with fewer people or person hours to get the work done. The upsides to having to take on new tasks for which one is unprepared are that the work is never dull, and that often instructors, especially those who are full-time, have the opportunity to grow, and develop some of the skills they might need as curriculum developers, program evaluators, technology coordinators, and program managers. Some programs are systematic about instructor professional development, and some program administrators encourage instructors who are interested and show some promise, to take on administrative skills such as grant writing, report writing, curriculum or program evaluation, and representing the program at meetings with program partners. Some states support this not only for program quality, but to build career pathways for instructors who might eventually become state adult education administrators, from my perspective a wise investment that can produce multiple positive outcomes.
I am interested in hearing from program and state adult basic skills (including ESOL/ESL) administrators and instructors who can provide examples of how being systematic in professional development, with one eye on building instructor administrative or management capacity, can help prepare instructors who may be interested in program management roles.
David J. Rosen, Moderator
Program Management CoP
djrosen123@gmail.com
Thanks David!
Professional development is the key to a solid succession plan - but as with any PD plans, a clear vision is needed from the program administrator, beginning with a skills inventory of current staff members. What are the skills that staff members must have in order to have a thriving educational program? What are the organizational strength and weaknesses? This inventory can provide a target for cross training?
Kathy