The two most feared words of any nonprofit board are: “search committee.”
Nonprofit boards are often loath to engage in a search because of the fear of the unknown and the risks associated with the transition between the departing chief and the new hire. Transitions are either planned, such as a retirement, or unforeseen, such as a resignation or serious illness.
The questions that circle board rooms often include:
- Will any relationships be damaged as a result of the transition?
- What new, or renewed, relationships will exist as a result of the transition?
- Did we make the right hire?
- Will he or she move the organization forward?
- Do the senior staff agree on the hire?
- What do our donors think?
- How will the work of the board change with this new leader?
We are presenting on succession planning at HW&Co’s annual “Executive’s Guide for Nonprofit Success” conference next week because it’s such an important, and often misunderstood, topic.
One misconception is that the executive transition is succession planning, yet they are very different. We offer the following chart as a reference.
Succession Planning Executive Transition
Proactive Reactive
Planned Ad hoc
Future Present
Ongoing Time-bound
Strategic Tactical
Board and chief executive Board and senior staff
This is just the beginning. Join us, Tony LaNasa, and other leaders from HW&Co as we explore this topic in depth. All participants will walk away with a clear assessment of their readiness and the roadmap of a plan forward.
Thanks to our partners, we are able to offer a reduced rate on the registration fee.
We hope to see you there.
Article by: Kerri Laubenthal Mollard, Founder & CEO
