Who's next? The succession planning question too many leaders avoid
Succession planning is often treated as tomorrow's problem, until a key employee walks out of the door. Joanne Barratt, managing director of The Venues Collection, argues that developing future talent is one of the most important responsibilities any leader has.
Succession planning is one of those things that often gets talked about, agreed as important, and then quietly pushed down the priority list in favour of more immediate pressures.
In reality, it is one of the most practical and business-critical responsibilities any leader has.
Because if one of your key people handed in their notice tomorrow, what would actually happen? Would the business continue to run smoothly, or would you suddenly find yourself exposed, trying to fill a gap while keeping everything else on track?
Too often in events and hospitality, we only start thinking seriously about succession when someone leaves. By that point it becomes reactive rather than strategic, with teams under pressure to recruit quickly while maintaining standards and continuity.
Joanne Barratt, managing director, The Venues Collection
Joanne Barratt, managing director, The Venues Collection
Succession planning is much simpler than it is often made out to be. It is not about pushing people out of roles or making assumptions about when someone might move on. It is about ensuring the business is resilient enough to keep performing and evolving, regardless of change.
No business should ever be dependent on one individual. Whether that is a General Manager, someone in sales, maintenance, finance, kitchens or a specialist support function, if you have not thought about what happens when that person moves on, then you are carrying a risk.
Good leaders recognise that. That does not mean having a perfect replacement ready for every role, but it does mean understanding where your gaps are, where your risks sit, and where your future talent is coming from.
Seeing the journey
One of the biggest challenges in our industry is that people often look at those in senior roles and assume that is simply where they ended up, without seeing the years of groundwork behind it, the sideways moves, the learning curves and the setbacks. If people cannot see that journey, it becomes much harder for them to believe progression is possible for them too.
This is why succession planning is not just about protecting the business. It is also about engaging and retaining your people. When individuals can see a path ahead, and understand that development is accessible rather than exclusive, they are far more likely to invest in their own growth and in the organisation around them.
At The Venues Collection, apprenticeships have become a key part of how we bring that to life. The perception of apprenticeships has shifted significantly in recent years. They are no longer just an entry point for school leavers, but a meaningful development route for people already within the business.
The majority of our apprentices are existing team members who are choosing to build their skills, gain confidence and prepare themselves for the next step in their careers. That might be someone in sales developing into a leadership role, someone in operations stepping up into management, or individuals in maintenance, food and beverage or support functions broadening their expertise.
Feel achievable
Over the past year, we have seen a number of our team successfully complete their programmes, with several progressing straight into further development or new roles. That ongoing cycle of learning and progression creates momentum across the business because when people see someone like them progressing, it makes that journey feel achievable.
Not everybody wants to keep moving up, and that is absolutely fine. Some people are happy in the role they are doing. They are brilliant at it, and they are a huge part of what makes a team work.
Succession planning is not about putting pressure on everyone to follow the same route. It is about understanding what people actually want, being honest about what is possible, and helping them get there in a way that works for them.
Start before you need to
My job as a leader is to help people achieve what they want to achieve. Sometimes that means helping someone move into a bigger role within the business, and sometimes it means helping them build confidence, gain experience or work out what they want next.
The key is to start before you need to. Succession planning should not begin when a resignation lands on your desk, but should be part of how you lead every day, in how you recruit, how you develop your teams and how you think about the future of your business.
The strongest organisations are not the ones that react quickest when something changes, but the ones that are already prepared for it because they have invested in their people, understood their risks and created clear pathways for growth.
Ultimately, that comes back to one simple question every leader should be able to answer:
If someone left tomorrow, who is next?
If you do not know, now is the time to start thinking about it.