Creating Tomorrows Leaders Today: A Lesson in Succession Planning

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Creating Tomorrows Leaders Today A Lesson in
Succession Planning

• Nonprofit Congress National Meeting
• June 2, 2008
• Washington, D.C.

Presented by
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Objective

• Increase Value
• Share Experiences/Strategies
• Improve Performance
• ______________________________
• Successful Session

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Questions to Ponder

• Are the vision, mission, and values of my
  organization bigger than me?
• Will the purpose and need out-live me?
• If I disappeared today would they miss me?

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Succession Planning

• A deliberate process, designed to ensure the
  continued effective performance of a nonprofit
  organization, by recruiting and developing
  employees and volunteers to fill key roles within
  the organization.

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The Need for Succession Planning

• Demographers estimate a wave of retirements never
  seen before.
• The aging work/volunteer force cannot be
  replenished by the less populous. generations
  without purposeful planning.
• Lack of interest among future leaders.
• Brain-Drain threatens the stability and
  continuation of organizations .

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The Need for Succession Planning (cont.)

• Promotion of Diversity/Inclusion.
• Assumption that the Board Development Process
  actually Develops the Board Members.
• What If _______?

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Succession Planning Areas of Focus

• How do we identify, prepare, and develop future
  board members? (External/Recruitment)
• How do we identify, prepare, and develop future
  board officers/leaders? (Internal/Cultivation)
• How do we identify, prepare, and develop future
  managers/executives?
• (Internal-External/Talent-Management)

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The Factors of Successful Succession Planning
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Principles of Effective Succession Planning

• I. Identify/Develop a Talent Pool
• Leadership Development Programs
• Local/State Leadership Programs
• Civic Clubs/Organizations
• Professional Leadership Societies
• Local Professional/Business Journals
• Look beyond the Usual Suspects
• Circles of Influence

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Principles of Effective Succession Planning

• II. Define the qualities, competencies, and
  capabilities required.
• What should they be able to do?
• What circles do they travel in?
• What is their area of expertise?
• Are they aligned with our organizational values?

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Principles of Effective Succession Planning

• Truth in Advertising.
• Dont trick people into serving on the board or
  serving in leadership positions.
• Share the Good, Bad, and the Ugly.
• You want to know up-front if they have what it
  takes.

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Principles of Effective Succession Planning

• Proactive
• Plan for the replacement before you need them.
• Adopt a Talent Management/Development Policy.
• Adopt an Internal Board Mentoring Process.
• Is the current Board composition and Succession
  Plan congruent with the Strategic plan?

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Principles of Effective Succession Planning

• V. Input after the Exit.
• Conduct exit interviews with departing board
  members and those transitioning from leadership
  positions.
• People are more open after theyve served in a
  position ask any politician.
• Use information to guide/shape future processes
  and decisions.

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Keys to Successful Succession Planning

• Shape/share the Organizations Body of Knowledge.
  Mechanisms to transfer Organizational
  Intelligence.
• Adopt a Board Officers Transition Process.
• Begin the Recruitment/Cultivation Process at
  least 18 months before vacancies are projected.
• Potential Board Members need to apply for
  service/Adopt a Screening-Orientation Process.
• Professional Board Development is an Integral
  Part of the Organizations Strategies.
• A Board Depth Chart outlines members ready to
  move up the leadership ladder.

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Barriers to Successful Succession Planning

• Selfishness
• Complacency
• Success
• Sacrificing the Important for the Urgent

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• There is perhaps no greater danger to the
  sustainability of a nonprofit organization than
  the loss of organizational intelligence,
  intellectual capital, and relationship
  connections due to the lack of Succession
  Planning.
• CC Weathers, Sr.

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• Thank You.

1225 Laurel Street, Suite 118 Columbia, SC
29201 803.400.1991 www.weathersgroup.com
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Diversity in the Sectors Leadership

• - 77 million baby-boomers make up ½ current work
  force.
• Only 38 million Generation Xers to take their
  place

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Nonprofit Boards 86 White 7 Af-Am
84 of NP Executives are Caucasian.

• May 17, 2007
• 1/3 of US population
• Age gap is widening
• Hispanics largest minority group (44.3m)
• White population shrunk in 16 states

Return
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• 3/6/08 Potential Charity Leaders See Top
• Job as Unappealing, New Survey
• Reveals
• Two-thirds of those surveyed said they either
  don't want to be an executive director or are at
  best unsure that the top spot at a nonprofit
  organization is their goal. Respondents
  attributed their reluctance to head charities to
  the long hours and compromised personal lives
  associated with executive leadership.
• Return