Regular sauna use – 15-20 minutes, two to four times a week — provides numerous health benefits, including cardiovascular improvement, muscle recovery, stress reduction, and better sleep. But beyond the health perks, I’ve discovered another unexpected benefit: business insights.
Recently, after a workout at my local Y, I stepped into the sauna and found myself overhearing a fascinating conversation. A retiree was chatting with a current employee from his former company. The retiree shared that his old employer had asked him to return because they lacked someone with his expertise to manage the boiler system.
The two men agreed it was frustrating. Companies let skilled employees retire without capturing their institutional knowledge, then scramble to bring them back, sometimes even covering travel expenses. The retiree was unsure if he wanted to return, especially if it meant long hours or physically demanding work in the summer heat.
As an HR consultant, I was half-listening to an audiobook and half-following their discussion. Eventually, I couldn’t resist jumping in. I suggested the retiree negotiate for what he truly wanted – a part-time role focused on mentoring younger technicians so the company could retain his knowledge without needing to call him back again.
He looked at me, considered it, and said, “I asked them for part-time, but mentoring… that’s a good idea.” Before leaving, he turned back, smiled, and said “Thank you.”
This is exactly what succession planning is about – preparing for the future before it’s a crisis. Organizations need to identify key roles where knowledge loss would significantly impact operations and create structured plans to transfer expertise. And this isn’t just for the C-suite, it applies to technical roles, department heads, and emerging leaders as well.
Key Roles for Succession Planning
- Executive Leadership & Senior Management.
- Critical Technical & Functional Experts.
- Revenue-Generating & Client-Facing Roles.
- Operational & Supply Chain Leadership.
- High-Potential Employees & Emerging Leaders.
Succession planning isn’t just good strategy, it’s good business. I might need to add ‘sauna strategist’ to my list of services!
Lauri Flanagan, MS, SHRM-SCP, is the owner of Laura E. Flanagan (LEF) Management Consulting, Davenport. She can be reached at lauraeflanagan.com.
