Whether a leader has been with you for five years or 25, their departure can feel sudden whether it’s anticipated or not. With a well-thought-out plan, you’ll know just what to do to guide your organization through a leadership change.

Planning for an exit

At its best, succession planning work is done well in advance of the pending departure of a chief executive, before the urgency of making a hiring decision impedes meaningful discussions. The most productive planning includes the perspectives of key stakeholders, the executive and staff, board of directors, community partners, volunteers, and donors.

And it includes evaluations of skills not only at the executive level but throughout the organization.  

Ensuring new leadership success 

Together we create a succession plan that allows for thoughtful conversations around ways to sustain, grow, and/or adjust the strategic direction of your organization, how to employ strategic professional development now and make effective hiring decisions down the road.

What if a leader leaves before our plan is in place?

In the case of an unplanned exit, our team has the tools, tactics and expertise to navigate a successful transition, including more than 100 certified interim executives who stand ready to step into organizations in transition.

Why is succession planning so important?

With good planning comes the opportunity to build trust between board and staff, prepare the organization for unexpected emergencies, and give key stakeholders confidence in the long term viability of the organization beyond any one key leader. 

Conversely, poor planning can lead to decreased contributions and overall revenue, painful disruptions or cuts in programs, employee turnover and morale issues, negative community perceptions and confusion over the direction in which the organization is heading.

Quite simply, planning has a measurable effect on your bottom line.

Succession planning will help you:

• Prepare for transitions, or for short and long-term absences of key leaders
• Strengthen your team in advance of a transition
• Establish or reaffirm staff and stakeholder confidence in the board’s leadership 
• Mitigate disruptions in programs delivery, community confidence, and staff morale 
• Demonstrate behaviors of a high-performing organization