For many small and midsized companies, the departure of a top performer can feel like an earthquake. The business may be stable on the surface, but underneath, much of its momentum often relies on a handful of people whose knowledge, relationships and judgment can’t be replaced overnight.
Here, 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council share practical ways to reduce vulnerability and to protect continuity when your strongest contributors eventually move on. Preparing doesn’t mean expecting the worst; it means building systems and resilience that help the organization continue to thrive no matter who’s in the room.
1. Pair Process Documentation With Mentorship
The goal is to ensure knowledge doesn’t stay locked in the heads of a few top performers. Establish a process to document the “what to do” (guides, playbooks, key processes) and pair it with a mentorship program that teaches the “how to do it” (context, judgment, best practices). Together, these systems not only protect the business when talent leaves, but also become valuable tools for onboarding. – Rebecca Mackenzie, The Confident Communication Coach
2. Build Resilience With Knowledge Capture And Job Rotation
Preparing for top talent departures means building resilience into the organization. Capture knowledge so it is not reliant on one person, encourage mentoring to transfer expertise, and rotate responsibilities. With effective knowledge management in place, the impact of departures is reduced and continuity is protected. – Mo Khan, MentorMeet.com
3. Eliminate Bottlenecks Through Cross-Functional SOPs
Don’t create bottlenecks. Make sure knowledge, relationships and standard operating procedures are shared openly and cross-functionally. This will create a more resilient and diverse team. – Jill D. Griffin, The Griffin Method
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4. Strengthen Culture As A Built-In Succession Plan
I was coaching a founder-CEO recently who was stepping down after many years leading his small company. He told me that his succession plan was the culture of the company. I love this idea. If you create a strong enough culture, with an inspiring mission, clear values and proven operating practices, you reduce the dependency on key individuals and you build resilience into the company’s DNA. – Dr. John Blakey, John Blakey Ltd
5. Cross-Train Teams And Identify Potential Successors Early
SMBs often overlook succession until it’s too late. The risk is overreliance on a few key people. To prepare, leaders should cross-train teams, document critical processes and identify potential successors early. Building a strong culture and career pathways also helps retain talent while ensuring continuity if a top performer leaves. – Peter Boolkah, The Transition Guy
6. Operate As If Anyone Could Leave Tomorrow
Preparing for departures is about being responsible. The healthiest organizations operate as if anyone could leave tomorrow, and they’d still thrive. Build systems, cross-train, develop people and always be recruiting in the background. That’s how you turn an inevitable risk into a manageable one for the benefit of the employees and the business. – Lynne Levy, Lynne Levy Coaching
7. Leverage Departing Leaders To Transfer Knowledge
Having a plan is great in theory, but the reality is we generally all have too much on our plates for this kind of planning. When it happens, make the departing executive do as much of the work for you as possible. Whether it’s a rushed conversation or a longer written process, you need to know the answers to who can step up short-term and what the next person needs to step up long-term. – Amy Feind Reeves, HireAHiringManager, Formerly JobCoachAmy
8. Proactively Foster A Culture Of Growth And Empowerment
The best defense is a strong offense! The best approach is to proactively create a culture of growth and empowerment. This is about embedding mentorship, knowledge sharing and career progression mapping into the company’s DNA. When employees see a clear path forward and feel supported in developing their skills, they’re more engaged and ready to step into greater responsibility for the long term. – Robert Gauvreau, Gauvreau | Accounting Tax Law Advisory
9. Rotate Roles And Projects To Spread Expertise
Organize work around project-based “tours of duty” rather than fixed roles. Implement rotational leadership for key accounts and internal initiatives. This approach fosters cross-training and broadens team members’ familiarity with clients, ensuring critical knowledge and relationships are shared among staff. This enhances the company’s resilience and continuity in the event of personnel changes. – Lori Huss, Lori Huss Coaching and Consulting
10. Run Succession Drills Like A Sports Team
Preparing for turnover is like training a sports team: Plan for when a star player is sidelined or traded, and practice the relay handoff so the baton never drops. Run succession drills where others step into critical roles, redistribute client or project relationships and test transitions under pressure—so the baton keeps moving and the business stays ahead. – Marcia Narine Weldon, Illuminating Wisdom
11. Treat Succession Planning As A Core Talent Strategy
Whether small, midsized or large, every company should treat the departure of top talent as inevitable. The smartest approach is to make succession planning a vital part of the talent strategy. Build a readiness playbook, identify critical roles and grow internal capacity early. This is not just risk mitigation. It is how organizations build trust, resilience and long-term leadership continuity. – Dr. Flo Falayi, Korn Ferry
12. Bake Succession Into Everyday Workflows
Don’t wait for resignations—bake succession into daily work. Document key processes, rotate team members through overlapping roles and run “what if X left tomorrow?” drills. This builds resilience, prevents single-point failures, creates a culture where knowledge is shared and shows top talent the company can support them—ironically making them less likely to leave. – Alla Adam, Adam Impact Institute
13. Gather Insights Directly From Departing Employees
Talk to the employee. Ask for honest feedback about what makes their work meaningful and why they’re leaving. Use these insights to understand what drives top performance in the role and identify opportunities to improve retention. This approach makes it easier to find a strong replacement and ensures the team continues to thrive even after a key departure. – Megan Malone, Truity
14. Create Fractional Pathways Now To Retain Expertise
Build fractional pathways into your talent strategy now. When your stars show signs of evolution, consider transitioning them to advisory roles so they don’t leave the company entirely. One departing A-player’s salary equals a fractional advisor plus three specialists who move even faster. Ask your team quarterly: “What energizes you? What depletes you?” Honor growth, retain wisdom and multiply capacity. – Marissa Brassfield, CTOx
15. Adopt An ‘ABR’ Approach
Always be recruiting. A proactive approach to hiring must be a standard operating procedure that is part of your people strategy. Even if you don’t need positions filled presently, if you make it an ongoing habit to cultivate an ABR approach, you will have momentum that will get you access to the talent when the need arises. – Edward Doherty, One Degree Coaching, LLC