More than 30 Zoom call participants shared ideas for succession planning in corporate and plant operations in the Dec. 7 TRSA General Managers’ Virtual Roundtable, facilitated by TRSA Supplier Partner member Cosgrove Partners.

TRSA members on the call introduced themselves to each other and benefited from a wealth of observations of the skills and knowledge that individuals need to bring – and develop – to succeed in the industry’s management positions. Attendees included owner/operators recounting generational transition in their top executive ranks.

Katie Cosgrove, partner, and Karly Seeloff, digital marketing consultant, of the Carmel, IN, consultancy, directed the discussion into three “lanes” the firm uses as a guide to evaluate the “people” side of preparing for succession planning in the industry:

Job descriptions and competency models. Job descriptions (JDs) for key management roles must accurately represent the work and skills required to excel in them. Revisiting JDs is critical to ensuring they match the business’s needs. GMs were encouraged to ponder:

  • Do JDs for your direct reports accurately represent the work they do?
  • Do you have updated/accurate JDs for all roles in their departments?
  • What unspoken or unwritten skills or capabilities does someone need for a management job?

Talent acquisition and engagement. Laundries across the country struggle to find and keep really good talent for key positions, the moderators observed. Given that managers need to be lured and satisfied with good pay, other means of fulfilling their needs must be identified, revealing these in recruiting them.

  • What resources do you use to find talent?
  • Have you ever used a non-traditional way to find people to work for your company?
  • Do you have an internal incentive for referring other employees?
  • What is employee onboarding or training like?
  • What does your company do well and what could be improved for engagement?

Development and succession planning. A formal plan is needed to identify the most capable candidates for key roles currently filled by individuals who will be promoted or retire, or otherwise move on, no matter when. Every manager needs to “build a bench behind you;” it’s one of the most important skills in management, the moderators noted.

  • How do you identify next-generation or high-potential leaders?
  • Are you grooming anyone to be able to do their job better or one step further, a.k.a., step into a promotion opportunity?
  • Does your company offer any type of rotational program for potential leaders?
  • What type of “in-role” development opportunities exist in your company today?

Bookmark TRSA’s event calendar to monitor scheduling of 2024 General Managers’ Virtual Roundtables, and other virtual and in-person professional-development events.

TRSA Store

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Receive the latest updates on the linen, uniform and facility services industry from TRSA delivered straight to your inbox.