Bill Canady says every direct report needs a named successor or you pause the business. A bench entry needs four things: the person's name, what they're missing, how you'll develop them this year, and when they'll be ready. Three vacant slots out of eight is normal, but you have to know which ones.
In diligence, somebody's going to ask, who else could run this business or this region or this plant? There are exactly 2 possible answers, a name or a pause. Every direct report should have a named developing successor, and you should be able to name all of them out loud without looking anything up. Real bench entry is 4 things in 1 sentence, a name, what that person is missing, what you're doing about the gap this year, And roughly when they'd be ready. Maria, missing P&L ownership, running the Southeast integration this year with a number on her sheet, ready in about 18 months. That's a bench entry right there. If you can produce that sentence for a direct report, that seat is blank and you shouldn't know it's blank. 3 blanks out of 8 is normal. What is not fine is not knowing which 3.
