I often must stop myself from stating the obvious but on this occasion, I’m going to go for it: Succession Planning is all about planning for the future of the business. It often includes finding the time to “think” and the time to have critical conversations with family members and high potential colleagues. 

It’s about securing the future of the business and often requires a stoic approach –“What happens if Paul wins the lottery? “Great for him but he’s now off on a around the world trip. Who’s going to do his job and make sure that everyone gets paid?”, “What happens if Orla decides to hang up her Ops Director hat and move to Goa to become a Yoga instructor?”… Okay, so that was probably a bit too specific but hopefully you get the point. 

Succession planning is all about making sure that you have a suitable plan B. 

I spoke to our Head of Human Capital Consulting, Chris Mullan and this is what he had to say: 

“Developing your internal talent and hiring for growth potential are two sides of the same coin, they are both essential for building a resilient, future proofed business. Providing investment for internal talent isn’t just about retaining them, it’s about creating a pipeline of leaders who know your business, your culture, your strategy and processes. Plus, it’s cheaper to build your own than constantly having to go to market for new talent every time you need to fill a position. 

In saying that its equally as important to your approach to external hiring. When bringing new talent into your business, its critical to look beyond the immediate role requirements and assess candidates for the ability to take the next 1-2 (possibly 3) steps in their career path. That talent who can demonstrate not only the skills for the current role but also the potential to grow into future positions ensures that futureproofing. Not only does it save money and time associated with recruiting externally it helps create a culture of opportunity which is attractive to high calibre talent.  

Utilising both strategies helps businesses become more agile and resilient. Creating a robust talent strategy will differentiate your business from others in the market and deliver a steady stream of talent that will ensure business continuity and growth.” 

In any business, it’s crucial to have a succession plan in place. If there are no internal candidates (Plan Bs) ready and able to step into the roles of key leaders (Plan As) should they leave unexpectedly, you’ll need to look externally. Being proactive about this is far better than being reactive. 

Recently, I’ve been collaborating with several business owners to bridge the gap between their stepping back and the next generation stepping up. In all these cases, there was a significant gap that needed to be filled, often spanning 10-15 years. Unfortunately, there was no one within the businesses with the desire or readiness to take on these leadership roles, necessitating an external search. 

There’s a huge benefit to taking a proactive approach to succession planning. It means that instead of having to be reactive to the unexpected and having to make a distressed purchase-style decision on hiring, you’ll be able to take your time to ensure you have the right talent within the business, developing and growing until they are ready to take the step up. 

This proactive approach not only mitigates risks but also positions the business for long-term success. 

If you’ve ever worked at a large, monolithic company—let’s call it a “SHREK company”—you know the experience comes with its own unique flavour of chaos. SHREK companies are big, loud, and often overly complicated, just like their ogre counterpart. Think endless meetings where everyone talks but no one listens, processes that require five approvals for ordering coffee, and a tech stack that feels like it was cobbled together by medieval alchemists.

Now imagine transitioning from that ogre’s swamp to a boutique search firm: small, agile, and alarmingly functional. It’s like moving from a Renaissance fair—all pomp and drama—to a chic, minimalist coffee shop where everyone knows your name and spells it correctly. Here’s what I learned from making that jump and how my time in the swamp gave me a surprising toolkit to thrive in this new world.

Lesson 1: Big Swamps Teach Big Patience

In a SHREK company, things move at the speed of molasses. A simple decision can take weeks because, “hey, let’s form a task force and put together a deck first.” That slow pace taught me patience—a skill that is, ironically, incredibly useful in the fast-paced exec search boutique world. Now, when a client changes their requirements for the third time this week, I don’t flinch. I just channel my inner swamp zen and get on with it.

Lesson 2: You Learn to Herd Cats (and Donkeys)

Big companies are full of people. LOTS of people. And they all have opinions. You’re essentially herding a mix of cats and donkeys (both metaphorically and, in some cases, literally if you count office mascots). Navigating all that taught me the fine art of persuasion, compromise, and knowing when to throw in an anecdote to lighten the mood. Turns out, those skills translate beautifully to boutique firms where matrix is not the key but relationships are and everyone’s voice carries weight.

Lesson 3: Systems Overload = Efficiency Hacks

SHREK companies love a system. No one remembers why these systems exist, but you better follow them. Working in that environment forces you to develop efficiency hacks because otherwise, you’ll drown in a sea of spreadsheets and intranet portals. When I moved to the boutique world, I brought these hacks with me. Suddenly, I was the go-to person for automating repetitive tasks or streamlining processes. Turns out, a little swamp ingenuity goes a long way.

Lesson 4: Humility is Key (But Confidence is King)

In a massive organization, you’re one tiny cog in a very big machine. It’s humbling and sometimes frustrating, but it also teaches you the importance of humility. That said, SHREK companies also toughen you up. You learn to speak up, pitch ideas, and advocate for yourself because, if you don’t, you’ll get lost in the swamp’s noise. Most importantly you work with a pool of pedigree folks whose success and resilience will rub on you.
That combination of humility and confidence has been invaluable in boutique land, where every idea counts but collaboration is king.

The Final Takeaway: Big Swamp Energy

While boutique firms are leaner and nimbler, there’s a surprising amount you can bring from the swamp. A big-picture mindset, resilience, and the ability to find humour in even the most ridiculous situations (like realizing your new office’s coffee machine has better tech than your old company’s CRM).

So, here’s to embracing both worlds: the ogre-sized lessons from the SHREK swamp and the bespoke charm of boutique life. And if you’re wondering, yes, I’ve already suggested that our next client pitch include waffles. Donkey would be proud.