What is succession planning?
- Author: Creative Australia
On this page
What does succession planning mean?
Succession planning is the strategic process of identifying and developing potential successors to key leadership positions within your arts and cultural organisation. This includes executive leadership and board member positions.
Why does succession planning matter?
Change is inevitable. People in key leadership positions might retire, move into different roles or leave.
Succession planning prepares your organisation for future transitions, ensuring interruptions to day-to-day operations are minimised. It helps your organisation:
- maintain continuity and sustainability
- ensure long-term success
- cultivate and develop talent
- identify whether new skills, knowledge or expertise is required
- support discussions about increasing diversity.
What is a succession plan?
A succession plan outlines how your organisation manages succession for leadership or board member roles. It covers how you:
- identify potential candidates
- recruit or develop potential candidates
- manage transitions in leadership.
It’s what you’ll do to implement your succession policy.
Not sure what a succession policy is? Read this guide first.
Do all organisations need succession planning?
Succession planning can look very different across organisations in the arts sector, depending on size, maturity and context. But all organisations should implement some level of succession planning. It supports the development and sustainability of your organisation, artists, staff and community.
Designed for board members, this guide steps through how to do leadership succession planning.
