Preparing for the inevitable transition
When confronted with an unexpected, unsettling change in leadership, does your organization have a solution already developed?
What would happen to your organization if the key employee could no longer serve?
More than 50 percent of nonprofit CEO’s expect to leave their positions within the next five years. Most nonprofit organizations have no plan in place. It is one of the Board’s most critical responsibilities—under the best of circumstances, in partnership with the CEO—to be prepared for any eventuality, particularly the transition—planned or unplanned—of the senior leader of the organization.
At Mersky, Jaffe & Associates, we can assist you in establishing a succession plan including an emergency transition plan.
There are 7 key elements of a leadership transition plan to have in place long before it would be necessary:
- An up-to-date job description for the position
- Clear, written annual performance expectations
- Measurable benchmarks for the performance of the organization and each of its divisions
- Regular check-ins to determine that the organization is proceeding in the right direction and that the key staff person has the appropriate qualities for the tasks at hand
- An emergency leadership transition management plan to run the organization during the transition—including the possibility of an interim or fractional leader
- A process for hiring a new key employee
- Maintaining the unity of the leadership—professional and volunteer—and assuring focus on the future.
If you are thinking about creating a succession plan, or if you are experiencing an unexpected transition of leadership, let us help you decrease your anxiety, or at least avoid additional stress at a tumultuous time, with a guide to an orderly transition.
The future strength of the organization, and those who depend upon it, will be assured through thoughtful succession planning with expert guidance. Call 800.361.8689 to learn how we can help you develop the best plan tailored for your nonprofit.