Like making out a will, succession planning is not always pleasant to think about, and it's tempting to wait until the need arises. But directors who plan ahead to fill the needs of their library ensure smooth transitions for everyone from leadership to support staff to patrons. It's in a library's best interest to build its bench strength-a roster of strong employees across the organization who can potentially step into leadership roles-rather than preparing a select few. As in the sports world, a "deep bench" means a library will be able to fill a job vacated on schedule or suddenly, when employees resign or retire, die or fall ill, or take on shifting responsibilities in the wake of a key promotion. Cultivating potential leaders helps them build skills they can use whether or not they step into leadership positions and keeps them fresh in their roles and fulfilled by new challenges.
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