April 15 Webinar: Succession Planning for the 21st Century

Most succession plans are irrelevant to today’s business challenges. Demographic shifts, globalization, emerging communication technologies and rising economic uncertainty have changed the playing field and what’s required of leaders. Succession plans have not kept up. Generic competency models and complex processes set companies that have systems in place up for failure. Those organizations, large and small, that haven’t engaged in succession planning are also at great economic risk.

There has been much talk of the new normal in American business but little practical discussion on how to retool succession planning and leadership development to meet new and future challenges facing companies. This online seminar will cover future trends and practical insights to guide successful and results-oriented succession planning practices for the coming decade. Learning outcomes include:

• Key pitfalls to today’s succession planning initiatives
• The impact of future trends on succession planning practices
• A framework for assessing what tomorrow’s business and roles should look like
• Leadership competencies necessary to compete in the next decade
• Key steps to retool succession planning and leadership development for simplicity and success

The quality and depth of an organization’s leadership pipeline will be key drivers of competitive advantage in the future. It’s time to take a fresh look at succession planning in your organization.

Click Here To Register

Do You Know Where Your Gen Xers Are?

In the next two decades Generation X will be in the position to assume leadership roles left behind by older workers. Some industries, like the federal government and aerospace, are already having to fast-track succession plans to address talent shortages caused by retiring workers. Traditional succession planning, however, is based on the faulty assumption that the next generation of leaders is willing to assume the roles planned for them. Here is why this is not the case for Gen X:

• Gen Xers have grown up to feel marginalized and ignored as a cohort. This trend has continued in the workplace, as the needs of Gen Xers are consistently dwarfed by those of the Baby Boomers and Millennials.
• Work-Life balance is a high priority for Gen Xers, who chose jobs closer to home over higher salaries and freelance work over full-time employment. Many are opting for entrepreneurial paths to be able to control their work day.
• Gen Xers consider themselves fast trackers and now feel stuck in their careers as older workers stay in their jobs longer. Massive layoffs, pay freezes and turbulent restructuring have only fueled existing resentments, causing engagement levels among high performing Gen Xers to plummet in recent times.

When the economy recovers, Gen Xers will be the first to be lured away from organizations, resulting in a crippling brain drain. Most succession planning initiatives do little to address this imminent crisis. What have you done for Generation X lately? Isn’t it time you paid attention?

To learn how to retool your succession planning for sustainability and success, join us for our April 15 online seminar, “Succession Planning for the 21^st Century: Future Trends & Practical Guidelines for Building the Talent Pipeline.”

Reactions to "TOM BROKAW REPORTS: BOOMER$"

On March 4, CNBC premiered a two-hour documentary called, "TOM BROKAW REPORTS: BOOMER$." While it was marketed as a landmark telling of “history’s wealthiest and most influential generation,” many felt it missed the mark. Here are some of the most common sentiments recently expressed in the blogosphere:

• The fact that the Boomer generation is the richest in history (3/4 of Fortune 500 CEOs are Boomers) contradicts the economic realities facing most Boomers during this current recession
• Brokaw’s claim that Boomers haven’t realized the changes they promised to the world negates the progress they’ve made through civil, women’s and environmental movements
• While the recession’s impact on this cohort is significant, it pales in comparison to the emotional and economic burdens facing Boomers as they care for their own aging parents

To summarize any generation in a 2-hour segment is overly ambitious, but the flurry of passionate commentary the show generated highlights the power Boomers have in our society. The Baby Boomer generation will continue to drive economic, social, political and workplace agendas for years to come. It will be important for members of every generation to have an informed opinion.

BOOMER$ will be airing several more times this month. For more information visit http://classic.cnbc.com/id/34840866/.