Miller's Monday Morning Message
presented by ACM Consulting Inc.

Andrew Miller on strategy, operations, life balance and everything in between

Toronto - August 29, 2011 – The passing of Jack Layton has left a gaping hole in the leadership of the Canadian New Democrat Party. The leave of absence taken by Steve Jobs has left Apple with some big shoes to fill. These are just two examples of organizations that must immediately deal with a succession and leadership issue. Layton had already appointed Nicole Turmel as interim leader and Tim Cook has been making many of the decisions at Apple for the past six months. Will this ensure a smooth leadership transition? It will certainly make it easier. The one thing we can learn from both of these situations is that you never know when one of your top leadership positions will be vacated, so your organization better be prepared for it. Here are some ways to do that:

• Decentralize decision-making - Organizations that give employees the ability to make decisions on their own will be better insulated when someone from the top leaves as there is less reliance on them to make all decisions.
• Have a succession plan - When Jobs stepped down, he recommended that the board "execute the succession plan and appoint Tim Cook as CEO." No discussion needed as the plan had already been developed and approved.
• Create an 18-24 month plan for new product or services - The strategy may change a little, but if you already have the roadmap for the next year or two, it softens the blow when the leader steps down or is removed.

A great leader will always be missed, but there are ways you can reduce the risk on your organization and continue to push in the right direction. Let's hope that Apple and the NDP were well-enough prepared.
 
To request an interview or more information, please contact:

Andrew Miller
416-480-1336
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http://www.acmconsulting.ca
 
Follow me on Twitter @AndrewMillerACM

© Andrew Miller. All rights reserved. 2011.

Miller's Monday Morning Message
presented by ACM Consulting Inc.

Andrew Miller on strategy, operations, life balance and everything in between

Toronto - August 3, 2011 – We have all read recently that Federal NDP leader (and of course, leader of the official opposition) Jack Layton will be taking some time off from politics to deal with his health concerns. This is obviously an unfortunate situation for Mr Layton and we all wish him the best. However, it is also an unfortunate situation for a party who only recently took huge strides in popularity and became the official opposition party. How bad can this become if Layton does not come back? Just ask voters in Quebec, many of whom cannot name their MP and voted NDP purely because of Layton. Interim leadership of the party has been given to Quebec MP  Nycole Turmel. This situation provides us a good lesson on why succession planning is important for any organization. Here are some important questions to consider as to why a succession plan is important and how to develop one:

• What would be the impact to the organization if the leader disappeared for three months? How would accountabilities be shared or delegated?
• What are the time lines for expected succession (when will the current leader step down)?
• What is the contingency plan if the current leader suddenly must vacate his or her post?
• Who are the top candidates to take over and how will a decision be made?
• What development activities need to take place in order for a smooth transition?
• Does the current organizational structure and business model support a leadership change?

These are only a few questions to consider, but it is never too early to think about succession planning because you never know in what direction life will go.
 
To request an interview or more information, please contact:

Andrew Miller
416-480-1336
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
http://www.acmconsulting.ca
 
Follow me on Twitter @AndrewMillerACM

© Andrew Miller. All rights reserved. 2011.