Whether in uncertain times or during steady growth, companies are well advised to develop successors on all management levels - on global and local scale. Usually, companies divide their succession-planning into 3 Levels of importance:

Importance Level 1 = emergency replacement (preparation in the event whereby a Leader / Specialist has to be replaced immediately)

Importance Level 2 = development within 1 year (selected High-Potentials with precise future assignment / goal)

Importance Level 3 = development within 2 - 3 years (steadily developing promising high-potential employees ("goldfish")

After identifying the successors for each key-position, development through coaching is applied according to level of importance.

Emergency Replacement (Level 1):
As soon as an immediate Successor in case of emeregency is identified and assessed, development (Coaching sessions or Work-Shop trainings) shall be applied immediately and according to the revealed gap of competence.

1-year (Level 2):
Based on conducted assessments (c-PA, or alternative internal assessments), specific PDPs (Personal Development Plans) will be designed for each individual participant.

The PDPs are based on a "Profiling meeting" with the Top-Management / HR-Department in order to clarify requirements needed at the end of the Succession-Planning program.

In individual meetings with the participants (potential successors), corporate goals as well as personal goals will be aligned in synergy to reach full commitment and most possible impact / development.

Methodologies and "real-case" scenario role-plays with innovative solution-finding will now be applied as per the PDP.

2 - 3 years (Level 3):
Within a period of 2-3 years, companies identify, monitor and develop performance and progress of certain key-employees, also known as "goldfish". Once decided who is in the "goldfish pond", development of those employees begins according to individual PDPs, inline with corporate goal.

Every 6 months (usually), a ranking based on a specific assessment among the "goldfish" will be made. Employees who achieved their sub-targets and mandatory development so far by then, will remain in the "goldfish pond".
Employees however who did not achieve their sub-targets or necessary development during the development program, will be taken out of the "goldfish pond" and will be offered another internal career-path instead.

Every 6 months, Swiss-ASIA will as well provide "Development Reports" (DR) for the Top-Management / HR-Department- revealing the overall impact and progress of the Succession-Planing program with focus on each remaining participant ("goldfish").

For more detailed information and references, please contact our subsidiaries (see under "Locations").