--- title: 5 new considerations for Succession Planning description: Nick Kemsley discusses 5 key aspects of succession planning which need to be thought about given the trend in the consumerisation of talent. --- [![HeadLight-logo-from LF for website](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/hubfs/HeadLight_Sep2016/HeadLight-logo-from%20LF%20for%20website.png)](https://head-light.co.uk/) - [About Us](https://head-light.co.uk/what-makes-head-light-different/) ### [Our Clients Our clients come from industry, justice, government and not for profit sectors.](https://head-light.co.uk/our-clients/) ### [Case Studies Find out what people have said about Head Light and how we have helped.](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/case-studies) ### [Client Charter We like to be clear and upfront in how we work – and how we won’t work. 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In the video for this blog, he explores how these trends might translate that across to succession planning - and highlights five key considerations for us [![Video 2  A new model for Succession Planning](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2397834/396f2d15-a863-4e66-ab22-ede532f2c8ea.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2397834/396f2d15-a863-4e66-ab22-ede532f2c8ea) 1. **Take a look at the realistic and valid timescale of a succession plan - are 4 - 5 year plans looking to far in the future?** Should we be focussing on perhaps shorter succession timelines - 2 or 3 years? 2. **Move away from having no or an outdated appraisal of mobility of your people **Mobility feeds into succession plans - and career plan - but is a dynamic thing; what may not be possible one year due to children's schooling or aging parents, may be possible the following year.  And of course, just because someone is not mobile, does not mean that he or she cannot have a career! 3. **Give managers the training and tools needed to have realistic succession conversations.** One of the key factors to get more effective succession planning is to give managers the confidence and tools to have the conversations with individuals around careers and who can engage an individual in the organisation.  It's about the manager having access to, and being able to collate accurate data about future progression - and having the confidence to discuss this openly and honestly. 4. **Extend your view of succession planning and look beyond your organisation.** Our view is that succession planning approaches in organisations should match the way a talent thinks about their careers.  Talented employees tend to think about their careers across organisational boundaries. Why is it that we tend to think about career development just within the boundaries of our own organisations? This is brave thinking as what you are relying upon is your employer brand to let go and bring back your great people. 5. **Start looking at succession planning as a business risk management process.  **Succession planning is not always about the top of the organisation, some of the critical roles are often further down the organisation.  Sometimes it’s not just about having the right person in the role or a high potential, sometimes it’s just about the risk is associated with having somebody in the role all the time. The risk element really is made up of a number of components: individual capability risk; organisational risk and market risk. Succession planning itself is a business conversation around risk supported by systems that come from conversations between managers and employees. We often describe it using 3 circles whereby we talk about what the organisation needs, what the individual has in terms of their skillset, their performance, - and what the individual wants, their aspirations, their motivators, their mobility, a number of these factors. It's the job of the manager to broker that to the best outcome to try and balance those sometimes competing needs and to solve it for the good of the business and the good of the individual. Learn more about each of these considerations by watching the video [![Video 2  A new model for Succession Planning](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2397834/396f2d15-a863-4e66-ab22-ede532f2c8ea.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2397834/396f2d15-a863-4e66-ab22-ede532f2c8ea)  And catch up now if you need to see the first video. [![Video 1 -  A new model for Succession Planning](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2397834/1a0f3681-e8f2-433c-a245-38975d1d5920.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2397834/1a0f3681-e8f2-433c-a245-38975d1d5920)  When you would like to learn more about succession planning, then [do get in touch.](https://head-light.co.uk/contact-us/) If you'd like to learn more about introducing robust succession planning, then read some of our other blogs. [Succession Planning](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/topic/succession-planning) [Trends in Talent Management](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/topic/trends-in-talent-management) ## Related posts ### [The Police Leadership Commission Report: What It Means for Your Force](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/police-leadership-commission-report-what-it-means-for-your-force) The Police Leadership Commission report sets a clear direction for policing - and it has immediate i... 23 Jul 2026 ### [Organisational Insight: evidence that organisations fail to use](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/organisational-insight-evidence-not-used) Organisational insight is one of the most underestimated assets available to HR and business leaders... 13 Jul 2026 ### [How your Workforce Intelligence platform turns data into signals](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform-turns-data-into-signals) Every organisation generates data about its people continuously. Performance ratings, development ac... 13 Jul 2026 [![HeadLight-logo-from LF for website](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/hubfs/HeadLight_Sep2016/HeadLight-logo-from%20LF%20for%20website.png)](https://head-light.co.uk/) [![Fosway-2025](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Fosway-2025-150x150.jpg?width=150&height=150&name=Fosway-2025-150x150.jpg)](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/news/head-light-fosway-grid-2025)   ### Useful Links - [Home](https://head-light.co.uk/) - [About](https://head-light.co.uk/what-makes-head-light-different/) - [Workforce Signals](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/) - [Products](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/) - [Blue Light Services](https://head-light.co.uk/blue-light-services/) ### Workforce Signals - [Capability Intelligence](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/workforce-mobility/) - [Organisational Insight](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/organisational-insight/) - [Succession Intelligence](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/organisational-insight/) - [View All](https://head-light.co.uk/workforce-intelligence-platform/) ### Our Products - [Talent 360](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-360/) - [Talent Performance](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-performance/) - [Talent Navigator](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/talent-navigator/) - [View All](https://head-light.co.uk/products-overview/) ### Consultancy & Training - [Consultancy & Training Services](https://head-light.co.uk/consultancy-training/) - [Designing your competency framework](https://head-light.co.uk/designing-your-competency-framework/) - [360 and performance assessment design](https://head-light.co.uk/assessment-design/) ### Support - [Contact](https://head-light.co.uk/contact-us/) - [Blog](https://blog.head-light.co.uk) - [FAQs](https://head-light.co.uk/faqs/) - [Resources](https://head-light.co.uk/resources/) - [News](https://blog.head-light.co.uk/news)   Copyright © Head Light Ltd. 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