Succession Readiness Scorecard

1. Our organization has a documented succession planning strategy aligned with business goals.

2. Senior leadership is actively engaged and accountable for succession planning.

3. Succession planning is reviewed at least annually.

4. We have identified all critical roles that directly impact business continuity.

5. Each critical role has at least one identified potential successor.

6. Leaders and employees clearly understand what qualifies as a 'critical role.'

7. Our leadership pipeline includes diverse candidates across gender, race, and background.

8. Successor candidates are evaluated against future organizational needs, not just current roles.

9. We track 'ready now,' 'ready in 1–2 years,' and 'ready in 3–5 years' for each key role.

10. Successor candidates have individual development plans (IDPs).

11. Candidates are provided with stretch assignments, mentorship, or coaching.

12. High-potential employees receive visibility and sponsorship from senior leaders.

13. Knowledge transfer processes are in place for critical roles.

14. Systems, processes, and intellectual capital are well-documented.

15. Departing leaders are required to transition knowledge to successors.

16. We assess the risk of leadership vacancies (retirement, resignation, illness).

17. We monitor 'single points of failure' where only one person holds critical knowledge.

18. Contingency plans exist for sudden leadership departures.

19. Succession planning success is measured using defined KPIs (e.g., % of roles with successors).

20. Our succession planning program is continuously refined based on results and feedback.