What a Succession Chart Does Not Tell You

The most reassuring document in a succession review is the chart with every box filled in. It is also the one I trust least.

The chart looks simple enough. Each critical role sits in a box, and under each box are one or two names: the people who could step in if the role opened tomorrow. When every box has names, the review moves fast, and everyone leaves the room feeling covered.

Here is what the chart does not tell you:

• Whether anyone has ever tested those names against the demands of the role.
• Whether the person listed would actually take the job, or whether their current leader would let them go.
• What evidence sits behind the word "ready."

I ran succession planning for more than 160 critical roles across complex manufacturing operations. The lesson that took me longest to learn: a full chart with weak evidence behind it is more dangerous than an honest chart with blank boxes.

A blank box is honest. It shows you exactly where to focus. The danger is the filled box with nothing behind it, because it says everything is fine right up until the day the role opens.

So when I review a succession plan, I set the chart aside and ask what sits behind it. Which roles create the greatest exposure? What evidence supports each readiness call? What happened the last time a vacancy tested the plan?

If all you have is the chart, you have a list of names.

If the answers are specific and current, you have a plan.