Worried About Your Succession Plan? Focus on Your Processes, Not Your Leaders. Turnover is going to happen. If you are prepared, it won't hinder your success or growth.

Many companies are very concerned about "succession planning" or not having a strong "bench" of talent in the company. They do a number of things, like 9-box talent reviews and leadership training, to try to combat this issue. These things are fine and generally helpful, especially at higher levels in the company. But it's often more important to have well-defined and documented processes than succession planning.

Having good processes ensures effectiveness and scalability even if a strong leader or other key employee leaves. There are three key ways to give your company great processes:

1. Focus on outcomes and signoff tests
2. Benchmark your top performers
3. Cover all the bases