Key Recommendations for Succession Management• Understand the unique context of your organization.• Recognize that SMEs have special challenges and opportunities when it comes to succession management. • Identify key positions and the talent potential for these potentials ("Nine-Box Grid” may be helpful).• Establish succession plans for key positions that identify at least one and preferably more than one potential successor.• Engage in detailed developmental planning for the targeted successor population.• Use leadership competency models with caution-the future is imperfectly predicted.• Avoid the basic obstacles to an effective succession management system.• Work toward continuous succession management system improvement.