If you do a Google search on “succession planning,” you’ll have about 2.4 million links in less than 30 seconds.  Depending on what you’re trying to find out and the speed of your internet connection, it shouldn’t take you more than a year-and-a-half of full-time work to go through them.

Yes, I know I’m being ridiculous, but couldn’t resist it.  One of the biggest challenges we face when dealing with succession planning is trying to figure out where we need to start.  And, once we figure that out, there are tons of programs out there to help work through the process.  (Yes, just do a search or use one of your social networks to find out what your friends and peeps recommend.)  As a quick, easy, inexpensive free way to determine if you need to work on this issue at all, check out the following process.  (Hint: you need to do a succession plan if you have more than 1 employee!)

First, start with an org chart and two different-colored markers.  Starting with one of the markers, go through the org chart and mark each position that is absolutely critical to the success of the company over the next months/years.

Next, take the other marker and look at the positions you’ve indicated as absolutely critical.  If you don’t have someone in mind who can fill that slot within 30 days of a vacancy, mark it.  Anywhere you have two colors in the same box, you’ve got the potential for disaster.

Aside from possibly losing a key individual to a competitor, bad things can happen:  heart attacks, air crashes, car accidents, etc.  It’s one thing to plan a successor when you know someone is planning on retiring.  It’s quite another to suddenly find the company without a president, key programmer, or the engineer who has the process in his head.

This two-marker process doesn’t take long, but it’s pretty effective as a quick first step.  It’s interesting to ask the senior management to each do their own marking.  Surprising how perspectives differ!  Regardless, now may be the perfect time to think about succession planning.  Just start with two markers and an org chart and you’re on your way!