Apple's Succession Plan Shines In Wake of Steve Jobs' Death

Xenophon Strategies / PRGN, Washington, DC/USA, 10.10.2011

Czy Apple, jako organizacja, została dobrze przygotowana do odejścia jej lidera? Przeczytakcie Blake Rhodesa z Xenpohon

In the wake of Steve Jobs’ death, Apple’s succession plan is working extremely well if the company’s static stock performance today and the outpouring of support for its former leader is any indication.

As communicators, we often help companies, ranging from Fortune 500 firms to startups, prepare for seamless transitions upon the deaths of senior executives and/or high profile employees. 

From all accounts, Apple was well prepared for the eventuality of Jobs’ passing, ranging from his resignation and the transition to new CEO Tim Clark in August to its response to yesterday’s death announcement that included tributes – both on itswebsite and at its headquarters -- and co-founder Steve Wozniak sharing hismemories with media outlets throughout the world today.

You might be surprised that Apple is an outlier in preparing succession plans among Fortune 1,000 companies.  According to Korn/Ferry International’s “34th Annual Board of Directors Study,” only half of those companies have succession plans despite that 84 percent of the directors responded that succession planning was essential.

Obviously succession planning is quite different for publicly traded and privately owned companies – with SEC regulations and stock prices just to name a few – but the bottom line for all companies is providing continuity for customers and employees.

Companies will now be compared to Apple during times of transition.  To withstand the comparison, they better make sure that they have a succession plan that will provide enough continuity to assure any stakeholder – from the stock-traders to customers to employees – that the company’s progress will be unimpeded. 

Blake Rhodes

source: Xenophon – PRGN Member from USA