As people progress in their careers many of them decide the route of management is the one they would like to pursue. They decide that management is of interest to them and believe they have the competencies required to be good general managers.

Succession planning is not just intended for management succession at the higher levels. Succession planning should involve movement, but this does not have to be an upward movement.

It would normally imply an opportunity for learning what happens in other areas or departments so employees are available and pre-trained to move to a variety of positions as and when a need arises.

This is where the three dimensions come into play and where there is a need for planning and decisive and immediate action.

Over the many years I have been personally involved in management and the training of managers it has never ceased to amaze me how senior managers fail to relate to their responsibility to subordinate managers.