Rob Wilson, Manager IPWEA FLEET

One of the challenges we often hear discussed among fleet managers is finding the right staff.

A great wave of baby-boomer fleet practitioners are thinking about retirement so that raises the question; who will fill the gap? But it’s not just about replacing the fleet manager when he or she retires. It’s also often a challenge to back fill other positions that may become vacant due to retirement, sickness, long service leave and so on.

Good succession planning helps answer this challenge, but it needs to be started early and implemented strategically. A good start is to complete a skills or competency matrix for the fleet team, defining the important attributes required for each position – including the boss. Individuals can then be assessed against their next potential role and professional development provided to help close any gaps identified.

When planning professional development, think about the various options available such as: project work in a new area, coaching, formal training (such as the IPWEA Fleet Management Certificate) and opportunities to act in a role. Also, don’t just focus on the hard skills; moving up often means new soft skills such as dispute resolution, staff counselling and so on.

If you haven’t already, think about developing a succession plan for your business unit. Why not share your approach to succession planning on Ask Your Mates?