Your succession plan will place new employees with experienced ones. It may become apparent that not all matches are working well. In a few cases there may be animosity between the two people, as a senior employee may feel threatened by a younger one, or vice versa. Be aware of what is happening between the individuals. Prior to the training, meet individually with each employee to discuss the importance and goals of the training. Look for the win-win situation and make certain that both employees feel the time is worthwhile. After each training session, hold an individual debrief and a joint debrief to review the progress, and plan for the next session.

Consider the fact that not everyone wants to be a mentor. It takes time to become organized for the training and to answer numerous questions. Further, the mentor may not have had any training when they accepted the position and may not be aware of why certain tasks are done in a particular order. Mentoring is a skill and careful selection of a mentor will be well worth the owner’s time. Coaching the mentor may be an option but be watchful so that the mentee has every opportunity for success.

When a person feels ready to step up, try to provide the opportunity on a timely basis. Any significant delay will risk forgetting the new information. When errors occur, suggest reinforcement in the challenging areas at the earliest opportunity. Most errors can be corrected with little fuss. Keep in mind that the goal is for all employees to take time off without risking customer service or business interruption.