The Best-Half
The Best-Half Newsletter

"There is one prerequisite to managing the second half of your life:
You must begin doing so long before you enter it." Peter Drucker

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January 2008
Calculating your Best-Half net worth

I think the latest information gurus on retirement financial needs say we all need to have a million dollars in our RRSPs to retire comfortably. Maybe it's two million but then who's counting?

Heading into RRSP season is always a good time to book a check-up with your financial advisor. But how do you know that you are really on track for re-invention?

Here are three questions to ask yourself as you plan for your Best-Half.

 What are my reinvention assets?

  • A positive attitude about the future with exciting  possibilities before me
  • Many projects I can't wait to start
  • Fulfilling opportunities to give back to my community
  •  New skills that expand my interests
  •  A commitment plan to make it all happen

 What are my re-invention liabilities?

  • Too stressed out about the future so I will just avoid the discussion
  • No time to do any planning
  • Don't know where to start
  • Don't plan on ever changing
  • Work is my life, life is my work

 What investments should I be making?

  • Setting aside time for my reinvention planning
  • Organizing time with my spouse/family for discussion and input
  • Meeting with influencers at work to discuss long term strategy for succession planning

Calculating your net worth can be more than just tallying up the columns. But if your liabilities exceed your assets it's going to be a long thirty or forty years. Remember: Life is only short if you're happy!

 If your reinvention assets don't tally up to where you want to be, give us a call at the Best-Half:  905 979 8904 or send me an email: gneufeld@sympatico.ca. We are currently accepting a limited number of coaching clients for individuals or couples.

Making a success of
succession planning

This is an article I recently wrote for Talent Management Magazine (www.talentmgt.com.) It will appear in their February issue.


For succession planning to be successful, companies need to establish a succession planning culture that is a bottom-up activity. Managers, technical gurus, sales stars,  key executive assistants all play vital and valuable roles that without an effective hand-off of knowledge and relationships taking place, will lead to a significant lag-time - the equivalent of "corporate dead air."

Smart companies need to focus, on putting into place a protocol for high value individuals to ensure a succession ready environment.

A top ten list for succeeding at succession looks like this:

10 - Picking a timeline - orienting an individual into a successor's role takes time - at minimum a 12 month window gives both parties the opportunity to transfer knowledge and manage relationships

9 - Choosing possible successors - starting with a short list: who works well with the organization, who are the emerging stars, is there a likely candidate or an unlikely candidate we are missing?

8 - Narrowing the list - everyone on the list should be interviewed to discern their interest and eligibility. Some may gracefully decline, while others will feel honored to be asked. Everyone needs to know there are other candidates so that no one is considered a sure thing. 

7 - Getting buy-in - Discussions in both directions will help with the decision making. What is HR's responsibility? What do managers higher up in the organization think?

6 - Planning- What are the development needs of the potential successor? Is there technical training that needs to take place? An executive MBA that needs to be conquered? Don't forget the soft skills as well.

5 - Succession by walking around - Shadowing the successee can be the most valuable means of imparting knowledge. "learn from the master" go on the sales calls, take minutes at the Board of directors meetings, be part of the vice president's budget meetings.

4 - capture learnings - on paper, on tape, on video - often what is most important are the stories. This is the corporate history that needs to be captured. Listening to the old war stories will transfer valuable knowledge for building the future.

3 - doing a test drive - assuming that things have gone well (if not see point 9 above) it is time for a role reversal and some on the job experience. While our successee is perhaps completing a part of their new success plan, our successor needs to step in and fly solo.

2 - handing off - Come the day, the hand off should be smooth with roles functioning as prescribed.

1 - evaluating - Don't forget to lead a session on the process. What worked, what improvements need to be implemented and most importantly who's your successor!


The Best-Half puts people  in touch with what really matters to them at any stage of their career and shows them how to find purpose, new meaning and engagement in both their work and home life. - hint: it's all about legacy and possibility! For employers the Best-Half establishes a dialogue between the employee and the organization allowing for effective medium and long range resource planning and succession planning throughout the entire spectrum of an individual's career.

Call us if you want to help your people plan for the future. It's going to be here before you know it (the future that is...)
 
Sincerely,
 

Gordon Neufeld
The Best-Half