Succession planning training teaches HR teams and leaders how to identify critical roles, assess potential and readiness, run calibrated talent reviews and build development plans for successors. Bodhih's program uses the 9-box grid, readiness ratings, bench strength metrics and real calibration practice, and ends with a succession plan draft for participants' own critical roles.
- Recommended: 2 days in person, or 4 x 3-hour live virtual sessions, customised to your talent framework
- Level: Intermediate to Advanced · In person · Live virtual · Blended
- Designed with the ADDIE model and customised to your context
- Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions
Also known as: succession planning workshop, talent review training, 9 box grid training, leadership pipeline training
Where and how: succession planning training as an in-person workshop in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Jaipur; as a live online course; or delivered overseas in Dubai, Singapore and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Why succession cannot wait for a resignation
Growth, retirements and a competitive market for experienced leaders all leave critical roles exposed. When a key person leaves without a successor, projects stall and outside hires take months to settle.
Many Indian businesses, including family-run companies and fast-scaling GCCs, still rely on informal judgement for these decisions. Succession planning training replaces guesswork with a transparent process that leaders trust and employees see as fair.
What participants will be able to do
Find critical roles
Identify roles whose vacancy would most hurt strategy, revenue or operations using a simple criticality matrix.
Separate performance from potential
Assess potential with clear indicators such as learning agility, drive and judgement rather than current results alone.
Run fair calibrations
Facilitate talent review meetings that challenge bias and reach evidence-based placements on the 9-box grid.
Rate readiness honestly
Classify successors as ready now, ready in one to two years or ready later, with the gaps behind each rating.
Grow the bench
Build development plans that combine stretch assignments, mentoring and learning for each named successor.
Track pipeline health
Report bench strength, successor coverage and internal fill rates to leadership each quarter.
Who should attend
- CHROs and HR heads designing or refreshing a succession process
- HRBPs and talent management specialists who run talent reviews
- Senior leaders who nominate and develop successors
- Founders and promoters of family businesses planning leadership transitions
- GCC site leaders building local leadership for roles once held overseas
- L&D teams designing high-potential development journeys
Program outline
Recommended design, customised to your context after a short needs analysis.
01Succession planning foundationsModule 1 · 2 hours+
- Succession planning versus replacement planning and talent pools
- The succession cycle: identify, assess, review, develop and monitor
- Diagnostic: rating the maturity of your current process
02Identifying critical rolesModule 2 · 2 hours+
- Criticality matrix: impact on strategy against difficulty to replace
- Key person risk and single points of failure
- Exercise: ranking roles in a sample business unit
03Assessing potential and readinessModule 3 · 3 hours+
- Indicators of potential: learning agility, aspiration, ability and engagement
- Using 360 feedback, assessments and development centres as evidence
- Readiness levels with gap statements for each candidate
04The 9-box grid and calibrationModule 4 · 3 hours+
- How the 9-box grid works, and its limits
- Common biases in talent reviews such as recency, halo and similarity
- Simulation: a full calibration meeting with conflicting leader views
05Developing successorsModule 5 · 2 hours+
- The 70-20-10 mix of experience, relationships and learning
- Designing stretch assignments and job rotations
- Individual development plan template with quarterly milestones
06Governance, metrics and communicationModule 6 · 2 hours+
- Bench strength, successor coverage, internal fill rate and successor retention
- Deciding what to tell employees about talent pool status
- Final presentation of a succession plan for one critical role
How we deliver it
Your framework first
During the Analyse phase we review your competency model and performance data so tools fit what you already use.
Live calibration practice
Participants practise talent reviews with realistic profiles, so they learn to handle disagreement and bias in the room.
Evidence-backed assessment
We show how assessment data from AssessAll, including 360 feedback, can support fairer potential ratings.
Plans, not just concepts
Every participant leaves with a draft succession plan for real roles, reviewed by the trainer and peers.
Tailored versions
For family businesses
Covers family and professional leadership roles, governance and sensitive conversations about next-generation readiness.
For GCCs
Focuses on building India-based successors for global roles, local leadership pipelines and matrix reporting lines.
Leader briefing
A half-day session for senior leaders on their role in talent reviews, nominating successors and coaching them.
How we measure impact
Using the Evaluate phase of ADDIE, participants complete a pre and post assessment of talent review skills, and we score each succession plan draft against a rubric. At 30, 60 and 90 days we check progress with the HR sponsor: critical roles mapped, calibrations held and development plans started. Over time we help you track successor coverage, bench strength and internal fill rates as the real measures of impact.
Pair this program with AssessAll, Bodhih’s AI assessment platform, for pre- and post-program skill measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is succession planning in HR?
Succession planning is the process of identifying critical roles and preparing people to step into them when they become vacant. It includes assessing potential, rating readiness, reviewing talent in calibrated meetings and building development plans. Done well, it reduces business risk and gives employees a clearer view of their growth path.
How do you identify critical roles?
Look at each role's impact on strategy, revenue or operations, and how hard it would be to replace the person in it. Roles high on both are critical. Also check for key person risk, where knowledge or relationships sit with one individual. Our succession planning training uses a simple criticality matrix for this.
How does the 9-box grid work?
The 9-box grid places employees on two axes, usually current performance and future potential, each rated low, medium or high. The resulting nine boxes help leaders discuss development, retention and succession choices. It is most useful as a conversation tool in a calibrated review, not as a label attached to a person.
How do you assess successor readiness?
Compare what the target role needs with the candidate's current capabilities, experience and track record. Use evidence from performance data, 360 feedback, assessments and stretch assignments. Most organisations then rate successors as ready now, ready in one to two years, or ready in three or more, with a clear gap statement.
Should employees be told they are successors?
Practices vary. Many organisations tell employees they are in a talent pool and discuss their development, without promising a specific role. Promising a job can create disappointment if plans change. We help you agree a communication approach that is honest, consistent and fits your culture.
How long does it take to build a succession plan?
A first plan for your most critical roles can be drafted within a few weeks of the program. Building a real bench takes longer, because successors need time in stretch roles and development. We recommend reviewing plans at least twice a year and updating them whenever the business changes.
Can succession planning training be run for leaders and HR together?
Yes, and it often works well that way. HR learns the process and tools, while leaders practise the judgement calls they make in talent reviews. Running the calibration simulation with both groups in the room builds shared standards and makes the first real review far smoother. We adjust the depth of each module to the mix of participants.