By the early fourth quarter, most executives and managers have a fairly good idea of how the year will end.
If your fiscal year closes on December 31, you probably know now whether your team will hit its 2026 goals. You know where performance has been strong, where things have fallen short, and which problems have followed you throughout the year.
That makes this a good time to ask another question:
Have you built the team you will need to succeed in 2027?
Great managers are responsible for getting the best possible results from the resources entrusted to them. The people on the team are a major part of that responsibility.
As the year ends, I encourage leaders to look beyond this year’s numbers and focus on the team responsible for next year’s results.
Start With Where You Are Going
Before evaluating the team, be clear about what you expect the organization to accomplish in 2027.
Will the business be growing? Entering new markets? Adding customers? Launching products?
Expanding production? Asking managers to take on more responsibility?
The team that was good enough to accomplish the goals of 2025 or 2026 may not automatically be the team that can accomplish what comes next. Those who got you where you are may not be able to take you where you want to go.
That does not mean making changes simply for the sake of change.
It means asking whether you have the right people in the right roles for the work ahead.
Look at Succession Before You Need It
Retirement and succession planning are two areas that are easy to postpone until they become urgent.
If you have employees or leaders who may retire in the next few years, now is the time to plan for what happens when they leave.
Who knows what they know?
Who has the relationships they have built?
Who is ready to assume their responsibilities?
Knowledge transfer should not begin during someone’s final two weeks with the company.
The more important the role, the more important it is to have a thoughtful plan well before the transition occurs.
Identify the People Ready for More
Year-end is also a good time to assess who may be ready for promotion.
If someone has performed well, taken on additional responsibility, and demonstrated that they can handle more, talk with them.
Good employees want to know that the company recognizes their contributions and has considered their future.
Do not assume they know you have plans for them.
A straightforward conversation about what they are doing well, what they still need to develop, and where you think they could go can make a significant difference.
It also gives you the chance to understand what they want.
The person you expect to promote may have a different career goal. It is better to learn that now than after you have built your succession plan around them.
Some Decisions Are Harder
This review has another side that managers do not always enjoy discussing.
Some employees may have been good enough for the organization in the past, but are struggling to meet today’s expectations.
Others may simply no longer fit where the company is going.
Those are difficult situations because the decision affects someone’s livelihood and career.
They should be handled carefully and fairly.
At the same time, keeping someone in a role where they consistently cannot succeed does not necessarily help them or the organization.
If someone cannot meet the company’s needs for that position, they may ultimately be more successful elsewhere. Help them be successful elsewhere.
A leader’s responsibility is to make that determination honestly.
Great managers and executives need both the judgment and the determination to make difficult decisions when the business requires them.
Build Next Year’s Team Before Next Year Arrives
The end of the year allows leaders to assess the team before the pressure of new-year goals begins.
Ask yourself:
- Do we have the people we need to accomplish what we want in 2027?
- Where are we vulnerable if someone leaves or retires?
- Who is ready for more responsibility?
- Where do we need stronger performance?
- Which skills are missing from the team?
Those conversations may lead to promotions, succession planning, additional training, new hires, or difficult personnel decisions.
The important part is making them deliberately.
A strong 2027 is much more likely when you enter the year with a team designed for the work ahead rather than hoping the current structure will somehow be enough.
If you would like to talk about upgrading your team, succession planning, or recruiting the people you will need for 2027, contact me at Dan@ContinentalSearch.com for a confidential conversation.
Daniel C. Simmons, CPC
President | Continental Search
Dan@ContinentalSearch.com
