Succession Planning Template: Layout, Excel Steps and a Filled-In Example

9 min read ยท 2026-10-25

A succession planning template is a table that lists your critical roles, the person in each role today, the risk of losing them, two or three possible successors with their readiness level, and the development actions that will get each successor ready. HR leads usually build it in Excel or an HR system, fill it in with managers in talent review meetings and update it once or twice a year.

The table itself is simple. What makes succession planning work is the process around it: picking the right roles, rating successors on evidence rather than gut feel, and following through on development so the names on the sheet are really ready when someone leaves. Below you get the exact columns, a 14-week plan for your first cycle, Excel build steps, a filled-in example, the 9-box grid, who owns what and how to present the results to the leadership team.

The roadmap at a glance

Goal: Every critical role has at least one named successor with a readiness level and an active development plan, reviewed by the leadership team, within 14 weeks. Duration: 14 weeks

  1. Scope and sponsor (Weeks 1-2)

    Agree on why you are doing succession planning and which roles it covers.

    • Agree on the goal with the CEO or executive sponsor, such as reducing the risk of key departures or building internal promotions.
    • Decide the scope for the first cycle: the leadership team only, or leadership plus other critical roles.
    • Set the rating scales you will use for readiness, performance and potential.
    • Agree on confidentiality rules: who can see the template and who cannot.

    Milestone: Scope, rating scales and confidentiality rules approved by the executive sponsor.

  2. Identify critical roles (Weeks 2-4)

    List the roles whose loss would hurt the business most.

    • Ask each executive to list roles that are hard to fill, central to revenue or operations, or held by one expert.
    • Score each role on business impact and on how hard it would be to replace.
    • Rate the risk of the current holder leaving or retiring, based on manager input.
    • Keep the final list short enough to review in one meeting, often 15 to 40 roles in a mid-sized company.

    Milestone: A critical roles list with impact and risk scores, agreed by the leadership team.

  3. Assess talent (Weeks 4-8)

    Rate possible successors on evidence and prepare for calibration.

    • Ask each manager to nominate up to three possible successors per critical role, from inside or outside their team.
    • Rate each nominee on performance and potential using the agreed scales and recent reviews.
    • Set a readiness level for each nominee: ready now, ready in 1-2 years, or ready in 3 or more years.
    • Collect career interests from nominees through their managers, without promising a role.

    Milestone: Draft template filled in for every critical role, with ratings and readiness levels from managers.

  4. Calibrate in talent reviews (Weeks 8-10)

    Test the ratings across managers so the plan is fair and consistent.

    • Run talent review meetings by function, led by HR, with each executive and their direct reports.
    • Place every nominee on the 9-box grid and discuss the ones where managers disagree.
    • Challenge readiness ratings with evidence: projects led, results, feedback.
    • Flag roles with no ready successor and decide whether to develop, hire or redesign the role.

    Milestone: Calibrated template and 9-box grid, with gaps and decisions recorded for each critical role.

  5. Development plans (Weeks 10-13)

    Give every named successor concrete actions to close their gaps.

    • Write two or three development actions per successor, such as a stretch project, a job rotation or mentoring.
    • Agree on each plan in a conversation between the successor and their manager.
    • Set up interim cover for roles with no ready-now successor.
    • Record each plan in the template or HR system with an owner and a review date.

    Milestone: A development plan agreed with every named successor and interim cover in place for every gap.

  6. Present and set the cadence (Weeks 13-14)

    Get the leadership team to commit to the plan and the review rhythm.

    • Present the summary to the leadership team or board: coverage, gaps, risks and decisions needed.
    • Agree on a review cadence, often a full review once a year and a check every six months.
    • Add succession progress to each executive's objectives.
    • Schedule the next talent review before closing the cycle.

    Milestone: Succession summary approved by the leadership team and the next review cycle in the calendar.

The template layout: columns and scales

Use one row per critical role and successor pair. A role with three successors takes three rows, which keeps sorting and filtering simple. Group the columns into three blocks: the role, the successor and the plan. Freeze the first block so it stays visible when you scroll right.

Use drop-down lists for every rating so managers cannot invent their own scale. Color only the readiness column: green for ready now, amber for 1-2 years, red for 3 or more years. That one color band shows the leadership team where the gaps are without reading every cell.

  • Role block: critical role, department, current holder, business impact (high, medium, low), risk of loss (high, medium, low).
  • Successor block: successor name, current role, performance rating, potential rating, readiness (ready now, 1-2 years, 3 or more years), career interest confirmed (yes or no).
  • Plan block: key gaps, development actions, action owner, next review date, interim cover if no one is ready now.
  • Summary tab: count of critical roles, roles with a ready-now successor, roles with no successor, and high-risk roles with no ready successor.

How to build it in Excel

Start a new workbook and add three sheets: Template, Lists and Summary. On the Lists sheet, type each scale in its own column, such as High, Medium, Low and Ready now, 1-2 years, 3+ years. On the Template sheet, add the column headers from the layout above, then select the range and use Insert, then Table, so new rows keep the same formatting.

For drop-downs, select a rating column and go to Data, then Data Validation, set Allow to List and point the source to the matching range on the Lists sheet. For the readiness colors, use Home, then Conditional Formatting, then Highlight Cells Rules, then Text that Contains, once for each readiness level. Freeze the role block with View, then Freeze Panes. On the Summary sheet, use COUNTIFS to count roles by readiness and risk, so the summary updates as managers edit the template.

Protect the file. Store it in a restricted folder that only HR and the leadership team can open, and do not send copies by email. Many companies move the template into their HR system after the first cycle, once the columns are stable.

Example: a filled-in succession plan

Picture a 600-person logistics company running its first cycle for the leadership team and a few critical specialist roles. Here are four rows from the template.

The planning manager role is the one that worries the leadership team most: high impact, high risk and no ready successor. The plan combines interim cover and an external hire search, while developing an internal candidate for the longer term.

  • Head of operations: impact high, risk medium. Successor: senior operations manager, ready in 1-2 years. Gap: budget ownership. Actions: lead the annual budget for one region, mentoring by the CFO. Owner: COO.
  • Finance director: impact high, risk low. Successor: financial controller, ready now. Actions: chair two monthly business reviews. Owner: CFO.
  • Transport planning manager: impact high, risk high, holder retiring next year. No ready successor. Interim cover: external interim manager on standby. Actions: open an external search, train a senior planner for 3 or more years readiness. Owner: head of operations with HR.
  • IT infrastructure lead: impact medium, risk high. Successor: systems engineer, ready in 1-2 years. Gap: vendor management. Actions: own the next network contract renewal. Owner: CIO.

How to use the 9-box grid

The 9-box grid places each person on two axes: performance on one, potential on the other, each rated low, medium or high. It helps talent review meetings compare people across teams. The top right box holds people with high performance and high potential, often your strongest successor candidates. The bottom left box usually calls for a performance conversation, not a succession slot.

Use the grid to start a discussion, not to settle it. Ask managers for evidence behind every rating, and watch for patterns, such as one manager rating everyone high. Potential is the hardest rating to get right, so define it before the meeting, for example as the ability to take on a role one or two levels up within a few years.

Who owns what

Succession planning is led by HR but owned by line leaders. If HR fills in the template alone, managers will not believe the ratings and will not follow through on development. Give each executive ownership of the rows in their function.

Successors themselves own their development plans. They should know what they are working on and why, even if they are not told which role they are being considered for. Many companies share development goals with successors but keep the succession list itself confidential.

  • CEO or executive sponsor: sets the goal, chairs the final review, holds executives to account.
  • HR director or HR business partner: owns the process, the template, the scales and the talent review meetings.
  • Executives and managers: nominate and rate successors, agree development plans, report progress.
  • Successors: carry out development actions and give feedback on their career interests.
  • Learning and development team: provides programs, coaching and mentoring for development actions.

How to present it to the leadership team

Open with a one-slide summary, not the full template. Show the number of critical roles, how many have a ready-now successor, how many have no successor at all, and a short list of high-risk roles with no ready successor. That last list is where the decisions are.

For each gap, bring a recommendation: develop an internal candidate, hire externally or redesign the role. Show the 9-box grid with initials only if the audience is wider than the leadership team. Keep the full template in the appendix and share it only with those who need it.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Covering every role in the first cycle overwhelms managers, so start with leadership and a short list of critical roles.
  • Rating successors on gut feel produces lists nobody trusts, so calibrate ratings in talent review meetings with evidence.
  • Naming successors without development plans leaves them unready when the role opens, so agree two or three concrete actions with each one.
  • Leaving roles with no ready successor off the summary hides the biggest risks, so list them first and decide on interim cover.
  • Updating the template once and filing it away makes it go stale, so set a yearly review and a six-month check in everyone's calendar.
  • Sharing the succession list widely creates tension and false expectations, so keep it confidential and share development goals instead.

Frequently asked questions

What should a succession planning template include?

It should include the critical role, the current holder, business impact and risk of loss, two or three successors, their performance, potential and readiness ratings, development actions with owners and a review date. Add interim cover for roles with no ready successor. A summary tab helps leadership see the gaps at a glance.

What are the readiness levels in succession planning?

Most companies use three: ready now, ready in 1-2 years and ready in 3 or more years. Some add an emergency cover level for people who could step in temporarily. Define each level before the talent review so managers rate the same way.

How often should a succession plan be updated?

Many companies run a full review once a year and a lighter check every six months. Update the plan sooner when a critical role holder resigns, a successor leaves or the organization changes. Keep a review date on every row.

Should employees know they are on a succession plan?

Practices differ. Many companies share development goals and career conversations with successors but keep the list of names for each role confidential, because plans change and no role is guaranteed. Agree on your approach with HR and the leadership team before the first cycle.

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