Ask around and growth plans look different for every person, if they exist at all. Some managers follow through on development promises and others don't, so growth depends on who someone reports to. Every team has a written development plan with a clear next step for each person. Development progress gets tracked the same way across every team, not just discussed once. Growth plans are built around the skills the business will actually need next.

Every internal move anyone can remember came down to who knew who. People only hear about internal openings if their manager happens to mention them. There's a set process for internal moves, and it's used the same way across teams. Openings are shared company-wide, and internal people are considered before anyone outside. Internal moves get planned ahead, using real data on who's ready for what.

You find out someone's unhappy when they hand in their resignation. A manager might notice something's off, if they're paying close attention. There's an engagement survey or check-in that gets looked at now and then. A few signals are watched regularly, but what happens next is decided case by case. Warning signs trigger a planned response, so action happens before someone's gone.

Nobody inside could step in. You'd have to hire from outside and hope. There's an assumed “next person up,” but nobody's checked if they're actually ready. A possible successor is named for each critical role, but they're not being actively prepared. Successors are being actively prepared, and you check how ready they are. Every critical role has someone ready now, and that's kept up to date as the business changes.