1 Leadership Succession Planning

2 A Story to Consider… Bob founded and directs a nonprofit organization called “Bob’s Fish for a Hungry World” twenty years ago. This amazing program feeds 500 people a day with fresh fish from the gulf. He has a staff of ten “crew members” and supplies fifteen food pantries and meal programs. One day, Bob’s boat sinks and fortunately he is rescued. However, his injuries are serious and he will be rehabbing for three months in the Bahamas before returning as the director.

3 Navigating the Storm What are all the issues that Bob’s crew need to address now that Bob is away?  Issues for the board?  Issues for staff?

4 As leaders, your duty to the organization is to assure a smooth transition which:  Allows the organization fulfill its mission and competently serve its clients  Attain current and future goals (programs and operations)  Sustains and/or enhances the organization’s health and vitality  Retains the institutional memory, culture, and values that give life to the organization  Identifies and capitalizes on opportunities that exist whenever there is change  Assures staff and funders that important issues are being addressed  Avoids breakdowns in communication and misunderstandings that can damage your organization internally and with external partners

5 Purposes of the Day  Understand the importance of planning for leadership transitions within your organization  Gain basic knowledge needed to develop an emergency succession plan within the framework of Prepare, Pivot, and Thrive* *Based upon model developed by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services

6 Succession Planning Mantra… Thrive Pivot Prepare

7 Emergency Succession Plan clarifies transition leadership and how you will stabilize the unplanned situation  clear steps  understood by internal leaders who are able to locate and implement the plan

8 Pivot Activate the plan  in a timely manner  prevent & deal with confusion directly as leaders play agreed upon roles

9 Thrive Launch and support  course correct the plan  providing specific supports to persons in new roles and those whose responsibilities have changed Who covers the responsibilities of the person with new responsibilities?

10 Warming Up To the Idea  Introduce yourself  Select a facilitator, recorder & spokesperson  Step One: Brainstorm all the reasons why a current Key Leader might not immediately warm-up to the idea of making a plan for transition to new leadership  Step Two: Brainstorm all the reasons why the board may resist the idea of planning for the transition of a staff or board Key Leader

11 Resistance can also be influenced by…  Organization’s health & life cycle  Organization size  Organization’s mission and culture  Current ED’s role, legacy, and shadow

Given all of this, why might it be easier to talk about an Emergency vs. Planned Departure – as a place to start? A Planned Departure is when the executive and board develop a plan for the departure of the executive (usually 1.5 to 3 years before the anticipated Departure).

13 Prepare Review Emergency Succession Planning Template  Temporary, unplanned absence, short- term (< 3 months)  Temporary, unplanned absence, long-term (> 3 months)  Permanent unplanned absence

14 Pivot  Locate plan  Call leadership team to review  Develop action steps to initiate  Meeting of management and board leadership to clarify organizational priorities for the 90 day period  Initiate a Social Contract between board and acting executive director (key leader)

15 Thrive In order to implement the plan, the new director (key leader) will need to have guidance in the following areas:  Organizational priorities during the days  Social Contract

16 Organizational Priorities days:  Where do priorities already exist within the organization?  What are all the ways to clarify these priorities?  Who should be involved?

17 Social Contract  Completed between the key leader and the board  Does not replace a job description: The key leader is fulfilling the executive director’s job description which lists what is expected of the ED, who supervises the ED, and who the ED supervises. A Social Contract clarifies expectations for how the board and key leader will work together or support one another.

18 Social Contracting Activity Work as a group from your organization or if you are alone, join another group Using the handout, pick one area and write a short narrative Social Contract between you as a board member and your key leader working as the ED Take 10 minutes to discuss and write the narrative

19 Purposes of the Day  Understand the importance of planning for leadership transitions within your organization  Gain basic knowledge needed to develop an emergency succession plan within the framework of Prepare, Pivot, and Thrive