For some organizations, boards have plenty of time to prepare for a departure. This is a huge opportunity for the nonprofit, but it has to be used wisely.
Some boards jump into planning and preparing the organization. Others fret and fritter the time away. Too often I get a phone call from someone trying to figure out what to do because their ED is retiring in a month. Then I learn that the ED told the board a year earlier that they were leaving, and the board didn’t know what to do.
If I had a full year before an ED retired, here’s what I would recommend:
Months 1-4
An Organizational Assessment – Take a good, hard look at the agency. What is working? What isn’t? What shortcomings is your ED unwittingly covering up? Having an outsider help you is huge – they will uncover far more than a board member, plus bring expertise to help solve the issues.
A Position Assessment – what does the organization need from its ED? How does that differ from the current person? What would let the agency grow and flourish over the next five years?
A Leadership Assessment – what’s the strength of the bench? Get input from a variety of staff members, not just the ED. Again, this is a great place to have an outsider help assess who has leadership potential. You may have someone internally who is a fantastic candidate for the position – someone with experience can help you find that person and decide if you need a full search.
Outside experts are a huge asset here. A long-time ED often wears so many hats and is so used to doing things their way that they can’t see how it can be better. We’re all human. I know I made that mistake when I left my ED role, and the changes the organization has made since then have allowed it to thrive.
Months 5-6
In-depth discussions with the board or transition committee about the results of the assessments and changes needed. Not every change needs to wait for the new ED to be hired, or they will be overwhelmed with changes to make. In addition, this is a great time to discuss whether an interim ED is needed to give the organization time to reset after the current ED leaves.
Make sure the ED has documented their current tasks. This page explains how to create an organizational operating manual and provides a template. A continuity plan for the ED’s position is also a huge help for the incoming ED.
Months 7-8
Finalize a transition plan and hire a search consultant.
Create a communication plan for staff, donors, and the community.
Months 9-11
Conduct an executive search for the next leader.
Month 12
Implement the transition plan, including a strong onboarding process for the new leader.
Please reach out if you’d like to chat about your own succession planning. I have many resources to share and have helped organizations create and execute their transition plans. I’m at ingrid@ingridkirst.com. Book a time with me on this page.