Survey Finds Succession Planning is Important for Government Organizations

May 16, 2012 - PRLog -- ARLINGTON, VA – May 16, 2012 – A recent informal survey of government professionals showed that succession planning is extremely important, with 57% of respondents stating that it is more important now than ever. The informal survey was conducted by American Management Association (AMA) Enterprise Government Solutions online, and in-person at the recent 2012 Training Officers Consortium (TOC) Annual Institute.

Although the majority of respondents agreed that succession planning is more important than it’s ever been, 20% believe that their organization is not prepared to deal with the sudden loss of a senior management member. In addition, 43% of government professionals surveyed said that their organization has no management succession training in place. The good news is that at those organizations that do have management succession training in place, 58% have formal management training programs, and 50% have a mentor/protégé program.

“Succession planning is a major challenge for many government organizations, as baby boomers retire, leaving a skills and knowledge gap,” said Sam Davis, Vice President, AMA Enterprise Government Solutions. “It is essential that organizations have succession planning programs in place, so that the transition can be smooth should an organization face the sudden loss of a team member.”

While 40% of respondents feel confident that they have the potential for career advancement within their organization, only 19% said their organization has a succession plan program geared towards all employees. Nearly 33% said their organization has a succession plan program geared towards senior-level executives.

As seen in the survey results, succession planning is an important topic that needs to be addressed. An effective succession planning training program can make all the difference in the ongoing future success of organizations.

About AMA Enterprise
With more than 85 years of experience and headquartered in New York, American Management Association (www.amanet.org) is a global leader of comprehensive talent development.  AMA Enterprise, a specialized division of AMA dedicated to building corporate and government solutions, transforms enterprise-wide talent to fuel a culture of innovation, high performance and optimal business results. For more information on AMA Enterprise Government Solutions please visit www.amaenterprise.org/gov.