Stepping Out from the Top Team: Oliver Johnston Inspiring Leadership interview with Jonathan Bowman-Perks

Oliver Johnston: ‘Stepping Out is a specialist consulting practice.

We help businesses and individuals to get top team off boarding right.

For the individual— Stepping Out is a coaching practice that provides senior executives with a route-map and a travel guide to help think, plan, and execute stepping out from the top team and onward to new adventures.

For the company— we offer policy and best-practice advice, internal capacity building, top team masterclasses and company keynotes to enable successful top team off boarding.

For society—we challenge the old and outdated 3-stage model i.e. education—work—retirement. We are part of a growing campaign to recognise the multiple stages of modern life/career in the emerging world where life expectancy is fast moving beyond 90 years.’

6 Good Reasons for Creating a ‘Stepping Out from the Top Team’ Policy

Does your organisation have a policy, with good supporting practices, to ensure that senior executives leave well and do so at the right time?  Most organisations don’t.

Here are 6 good reasons why a Stepping Out Policy is important:

1. Movement – every top team needs movement. It’s healthy. New blood refreshes the team, bringing new perspectives, new ideas and new energy. It shouldn’t be left to chance.
2. Succession – most organisations concentrate on one half the succession planning equation—getting people bench-ready to succeed. The other half is making the space for those people to succeed into. Before someone steps in, someone has to step out. Top Team off boarding needs to be addressed. It shouldn’t be left to chance.
3. Timing – Your senior leaders can leave too early or leave too late. Both come with significant costs for the organisation as well as the individual. A Stepping Out Policy can help ensure that senior leaders get stepping out just right. It shouldn’t be left to chance.
4. A Delicate Matter – stepping out can be a delicate matter for senior executives. It doesn’t need to be. Anyone who steps in must, at some point, step out. It’s a natural law. Having a policy and practices that encourage good quality conversations between the individual and the organisation in a safe environment is essential. It shouldn’t be left to chance.
5. Support – Stepping out from the top team is a significant career transition. For many successful senior executives, finding the exit door at the right time can prove complicated and difficult. A Stepping Out policy can make provision for great support, such as Stepping Out coaching. It means that senior executives feel recognised and valued. As a result, they go on to become ambassadors and advocates for the organisation. It shouldn’t be left to chance.
6. Who decides? – and finally, wouldn’t it be great if senior executives decided for themselves to step out at the right time—before the organisation needs to decide for them? It shouldn’t be left to chance.