5 Steps for PMO Leader Succession Planning

“Succession” is a hit HBO series about the dysfunctional Roy family, media moguls and owners of a global entertainment conglomerate. The story centers around Logan Roy, a ruthless and domineering tycoon who built a vast empire. Throughout the series, Logan faces challenges in grooming his successor from among his four children.  

Let’s just say that his relationship with his children is somewhat strained, and marked by manipulation, favoritism, and emotional distance. To get a flavor of Logan’s complexities, check out a clip here (warning: NSFW). Hopefully, this doesn’t remind you of any of your bosses! 

But, it does reiterate the fact that you, as a PMO Leader, aren’t going to be in your job forever. As much as you may love it, your own ambitions, unforeseen events, the market, and life in general may all have very different plans. What are some things you can do to make sure you have a succession plan in place, so that what you’ve built won’t crumble the moment you walk away? Consider the following 5 steps: 

1. Identify potential successors - The first thing you need to do is identify employees that could be good candidates to take your place. They may be from within the PMO and could be a direct report or even a skip-level employee. Or, someone else that you have worked with in the organization might have caught your eye. 
2. Create a clear succession plan - You’ll want to create a plan of what you feel this person should know, who they should know, and within what timeframe. Then, you can fill in the details around the plan on how it can be implemented. 
3. Conduct regular performance evaluations - Don’t skimp on regular employee evaluations, especially for candidates you’ve identified as potential successors. And, definitely don’t wait an entire year to talk with them about their performance. Conversations about their performance should be ongoing, and designed to prepare them for their future role. 
4. Provide leadership development resources - Based on your regular performance conversations, are there any shortcomings? Or, maybe there’s an opportunity for accelerating your succession plan by providing additional training. An education plan will give your potential successor what they need to take on the job. 
5. Monitor and adapt the plan - Remember the succession plan you developed early on? Well, this is where you monitor it and make any adjustments as necessary. At the very least, review the plan on a quarterly basis and see how things are going. Timelines may be extended, shortened, or it could even be that the person you identified may not be cut out to be your successor. That’s okay. It’s better to know early on, and make the best decision for the company and that person, rather than put them in a position they are not suited for. 

How long should something like this take? On average, an executive succession plan takes 3-5 years. Since a PMO Leader won’t need to know as much as an executive, it would be good to give yourself 2-3 years. This timeline allows for a systematic approach to identify and develop potential successors, provide them with necessary experiences and training, and gradually transition them into your role. 

Who knows, they may even be good enough to be Logan’s successor and run Waystar Royco!