FOR HR LEADERS
Build the bench.
Succession plans look deep on paper and thin in a crisis. Stop hoping. Pressure-test your bench and score it today.
Six toolkits for talent and succession
Each one is a structured aid for discussion. Scores start conversations; they do not replace judgment.
TOOLKIT
Succession Planning
Critical role map, succession risk diagnostic, bench strength matrix, readiness horizons, and a succession slate for every critical role.
TOOLKIT
Bench Health Diagnostic
Five dimensions: depth, quality, capability gaps, readiness, and risk, combined into one balanced score you can track over time.
TOOLKIT
Calibration
Five rules and a five-phase session that keep talent decisions evidence-based, consistent across teams, and separate from compensation.
TOOLKIT
Balanced People Scorecard
Three lenses, Business, Team, and Aspiration, that replace subjective labels with specific, observable evidence.
TOOLKIT
Workforce Planning
Critical role identification, a forecast model with scenarios, capability maps, role risk, and a talent pool inventory.
TOOLKIT
Executive Succession
An executive capability model, bench audit, slates, mobility pathways, leadership risk map, and development plans for senior roles.
How ready is your bench? Think in horizons.
Readiness is role-specific and backed by evidence. A horizon is a planning estimate, not a promise of promotion.
Try it: bench health score
Pick the closest description for one critical role. Gaps and risk are reversed automatically so a higher total always means a stronger bench.
Runs in your browser only. Nothing is saved or sent.
Try it: succession risk for one role
Pick the closest description for one critical role, using current, role-specific evidence.
Runs in your browser only. Nothing is saved or sent.
Calibrate with evidence, then follow through
The same five rules apply to every team and every review.
RULE 1
Evidence over opinion
Every assertion is specific, observable, recent, and documented. Ask what evidence would change our view.
RULE 2
Separate performance from potential
Past results are not proof of readiness for a bigger or different role.
RULE 3
Apply the same bar across teams
Define terms first. Consistency means the same standard, not identical outcomes.
RULE 4
Anchor to business priorities
Name the capability the organization needs from this role over the next one to three years.
RULE 5
Mobility and growth first
Leave with development actions, mobility pathways, an owner, and a review date. Never promise a role.
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Preparation | Managers gather examples across lenses and hold career conversations; people leaders confirm roles and standards. |
| 2. Presentation | Managers present claim, evidence, context, and impact; people leaders ask for concrete examples. |
| 3. Calibration | Compare evidence against the shared standard, record dissent and uncertainty. |
| 4. Decision | Set readiness horizons only where evidence supports them; document owners and dates. |
| 5. Follow-through | Deliver actions, track commitments, and revisit quarterly or when priorities change. |
Manager and people leader, one shared goal
The manager brings firsthand knowledge and career conversations. The people leader brings the enterprise view, shared standards, and consistency. Neither decides alone, neither promises promotions, and both protect confidentiality.
A bench is only as deep as its evidence. Build it before you need it.
GO DEEPER
Want the full guided version?
Everything above is yours to use. If you want a step-by-step path with worksheets you keep, ask about the workbook and we will tell you what is inside.
Inside the workbook: five parts
Work through them in order or jump to the part you need.
PART 1
Lay the Foundation
Why succession plans fail, your role as architect and challenger, governance, and your starting point.
PART 2
Find and Protect What Matters
Identify critical roles, audit single points of failure, and build the vulnerability matrix.
PART 3
Assess and Calibrate With Evidence
Four principles, the Balanced People Scorecard, a five-step calibration, and clear accountability.
PART 4
Pressure-Test the Bench
The Bench Health Diagnostic, slate pressure-testing, realistic depth, and growth horizons.
PART 5
Prepare, Report, and Roll Out
Interim coverage, succession conversations, a board-ready review, and a pilot-to-expansion plan.
Inside the workbook: four worksheets
Built to be filled in with your own roles, people, and data.
WORKSHEET 1
Succession Program Baseline
Where your program stands today.
WORKSHEET 2
Critical Role Vulnerability Matrix and Emergency Coverage
Which roles carry the most risk and who steps in.
WORKSHEET 3
Balanced People Scorecard and Calibration Prep
Evidence-based assessment you can defend in the room.
WORKSHEET 4
Slate Pressure-Test and Board Summary
Test every slate and report it clearly.
What you leave with after the workbook
- A short list of critical roles and where they are exposed.
- A scorecard approach that separates evidence from impression.
- Emergency coverage plans for your highest-risk roles.
- A board-ready summary of bench strength.
YOUR PATH
Ready to strengthen your bench? Pick your path.
DO IT YOURSELF
HR Practitioner Workbook
Self-guided. Bench health, succession risk, and calibration tools for your own team.
Ask about the workbookWORK WITH ME
Succession Process Evaluation
An outside review of your succession process, then a prioritized roadmap and guidance to put it in place.
Request an evaluationBuild a bench that wins.
Questions, or want the full workbook? Send us a note, or ask about advisory support for your succession program.
Contact us