What’s Next?Succession and

Sustainability Planning

Cat Fribley

Resource Sharing Project

Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Not if…But when

Leadership transitions are inevitable.

Organizations can develop cultures that normalize discussions of change to better prepare.

Why plan?

ease next person’s learning curveensure continuityensure ease of departureavoid significant lossesshare information across staffconsistency/transparency of goal-setting

What is Succession Planning?

Three different approaches:

Strategic Leader Development

Emergency Succession

Departure-Defined Succession

The bigger picture:

Succession planning also is the process an organization goes through to determine its future and how it will pursue its goals while acknowledging that the personalities in leadership will change.

Succession planning leads to sustainability; organizations create systems and processes to solidify operations.

You win!

You and your staff bought a set of lottery tickets and you just found out you’ve won! You need to leave your jobs immediately to collect your prize and leave for your trip to Tahiti.

You have a day to clean up the office and leave a note behind for the staff who succeed you.

Spend 5-10 minutes jotting down your note, then share it with people around you (2-3). What are the most critical things you need to tell the next generation of leadership at staff at your center?

Different Approaches

Advance: Thorough approach, includes multiple stakeholders and is intended to prepare for growth during transition.

Prepared Emergency

Triage: Focuses on critical information, preparations intended to help avoid crisis.

Short-term Plans

Document job-specific processes.

Identify and share key contacts.

Focus on financial and contractual processes.

Individual approach.

In crisis?

Focus on the fires Supervision Finances Contracts Controls Keys

Make planning a part of how you do business

Advance PlanningInvolves all levels of the organization;

Focuses on the ongoing growth of the organization;

Includes strategic planning;

Prepares org for a search.

Organization Levels

Executive

Programs

Significant leadership

Organizational Elements

Priorities

Policies

Practices

Procedures

Construction & Cohesion

1515

Our Web

16

PrioritiesProceduresPoliciesPractices

ProgramsBoard/LeadershipExecutives

What to look for

Mission/vision clarityStrategic PlanPolicies (personnel, fiscal, board)Job descriptionsWorkplansCohesive files, contacts, tracking systems, etc.

Organizational Self-Awareness

Where do you want your organization to be in 10 years?

What do you need to get there?

What have you been doing?

How do you do it?

Does everyone involved have information relevant to their role?

1818

How to get startedTalk about it

Identify resources

Document processes Calendars Contacts Policies

Identify Gaps

Places to embed planning

Annual evaluation processes

Staff and Board meetings

Policy reviews

Review of job descriptions

Professional development

Other opportunities

Support the board in initiating a planning process

Support staff in their professional development

Talk openly about organizational change

At a minimum

Staff workplans

Staff calendars

Staff contacts

Fiscal redundancies

Leadership development

Who does what?

•Board and committees: Sets direction & priorities; requests to staff regarding internal controls and documentation; build leadership.

•Staff: develops redundancies; provides documentation; asks questions; emphasize professional development.

•Membership: Provide input on direction and priorities.

Board Importance

“As the ultimate guardian of the community's investment in the agency, it is the board's duty, regardless of its practices to date, to attend to succession planning -- and long before leadership issues create a crisis for the agency.”

24

Take stock & take heart

Think about your organization’s web of sustainability. What action steps can you take in the next week, month, and year that will increase your organization’s ability to support significant staff transitions?

Your intentional planning will create organizational sustainability beyond succession!

2525

About the peoplePlanning transitions

Ongoing leadership development

Addresses conflict, barriers and fear

2626

For everyone:Support growing leadership

Share information

Provide input into planning and visioning

“Succession planning creates more nimble and flexible organizations through shared leadership. It also energizes and reassures a board by providing high-level strategy and demonstrating that staff leadership is broadly shared and backed up.”

Annie E Casey Foundation Report, Building Leaderful Organizations : Succession Planning for Nonprofits

28

Finding Balance