Transition Planning is Key to Successful Volunteer Leadership Succession
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about leadership succession plans – and with good reason: as early as 2008, reports like this one by The Annie E. Casey Foundation were predicting a tsunami of retirements at the top levels of our organizations. Increasingly, organizations have been putting more energy into developing a pipeline of strong leadership candidates.
Building the pipeline is a good start, but it isn’t enough. There needs to be a documented process for transferring authority, and responsibilities, from outgoing leaders to new ones. A well-orchestrated succession plan outlines the steps to achieve an effective transition.
Continuous, effective leadership is essential to a nonprofit, and an unplanned for or poorly executed leadership transition comes with substantial risks. These might include interruptions in program delivery, disengagement of volunteers, staff stress and funding challenges.
A succession plan is a roadmap for developing a continuous leadership pipeline. A transition plan is the instruction manual for a graceful hand-off of responsibilities from an outgoing board member or c-suite executive to the incoming successor.
An effective transition plan will keep your organization humming through a leadership change
A documented, well thought-out plan will enable you to build a timeline around the transition from one leader to the next. It will allow time for cross training and orientation, and for shadowing the current leader to gain a better understanding of the role. When the new term begins, the incoming leader will have had the benefit of working with the incumbent so that the transfer of responsibilities is smooth and uninterrupted.
Who is responsible for volunteer leadership transition?
Board leadership succession and transition will generally fall into the hands of the board development or board governance committee. The board has the fiduciary responsibility to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization, which depends on having the right leaders in place. The executive team and key members of the staff can be engaged to provide deeper dives into the organization’s work and impact in the community.
Make your transition a smooth one
Outline areas within the organization that need to be covered in a transition plan. Develop a transition guide that outlines the material to be covered.
Draft a timeline for the leadership successions and transitions that will occur due to normal volunteer rotation. Scheduling in advance helps to avoid unexpected conflicts.
Draft provisions for unplanned vacancies as well, to cover the organization when a volunteer must step down unexpectedly.
Engage board and staff in the transition process. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know all the players, how they contribute to the success of the organization, and what the leader’s role will be with each of these individuals.
Identify current challenges and those that lie ahead. Use an “eyes-wide-open” approach to prepare new leaders to address challenges and opportunities. Discuss effective hand-offs.
Identify professional development opportunities for board and staff to expand everyone’s leadership skills so that the organization will have a "deeper bench" of future leaders.
Communicate: What will your organization say to stakeholders before, during, and after a transition of leadership?
On-board with confidence. Help new board officers, chairs and staff leaders find, and use, their own voices.
Some pitfalls to avoid
Some cross-over is certainly beneficial to a smooth transition, but at some point, the new leaders need to take the reins, free from oversight from their predecessors. This will eliminate confusion among the ranks. Set (and keep) a deadline for the outgoing leaders’ departure.
Also, even when a rising leader has been involved with the organization as a board member or volunteer, don’t assume their level of familiarity with all of the operational or committee functions. Make sure that the new leader is well-armed with the knowledge and understanding necessary to make decisions about key board appointments and new initiatives.
Departing leaders need some love, too
You have a responsibility to help the departing leader exit well. This means more than just a nice gift for an outgoing president. Their experience can be put to good use in another leadership role or in an advisory role, but do consider that it can be hard to return to the rank and file after serving in a leadership position. It is imperative to find the right way to engage the outgoing leader in a meaningful and productive way, to pave the way for a smooth on-boarding experience for the new leader.
Thinking through how an organization's leadership needs will evolve in the future, identifying future leaders, identifying activities to strengthen leadership capacity, and ensuring a smooth and effective transition are at the core of succession planning. While the future may be uncertain, creating a plan enables the organization to develop leaders more intentionally and effectively, securing the sustainability of the nonprofit.
Learn how The More Than Giving Co. team can help you develop a successful transition plan. Schedule a call today.