So… you know you need a succession plan for your nonprofit, but where do you start? Today, I'm sharing some practical steps to help you translate that intention into a reality for your organization. These days, it seems like everywhere I look, there's a conversation about succession planning. It's true that there really is a great retirement taking place, at least in my neck of the woods. We have lots of senior leaders that are starting to think about what it might look like when they transition, or starting to talk about where the successor will come from. 

     In the nonprofit sector, the mission is paramount; however, we have to be prepared for these leadership transitions in order to continue serving effectively. Succession planning is one of the essential strategies that helps nonprofits navigate the effects of an eventual leadership change. So, let's explore how to have a successful succession plan and how to implement it effectively. 

1. Assess Organizational Needs

      Begin by evaluating the current state of your organization. What are the key roles? What are the strengths and the skills of that leader and the team around them? What might it look like as you look into the future of your organization? An understanding of not just where you are, but where you are going is crucial for effective succession planning. 

2. Identify Key Positions and Potential Successors

     Once you’ve determined which leadership roles are most critical for your organization, the next step is to identify the candidates. One potential source is internal candidates- people who are already committed to your mission and your organization, who can be cultivated, nurtured, and trained in a way that prepares them to step up. So, start by considering the people you already have and how you can develop them into a future leader. 

3. Create a Leadership Development Program

Basically, we don’t want this to be on accident or by chance. Let's make it intentional. Invest in the training and the professional development of your staff, creating opportunities for those successors. A few of the ways that I've seen this work well include:

•   mentoring- where intentional time is scheduled with a current leader and a set of potential future leaders. 
•  shadowing- where the potential candidates come alongside of the individual who is currently leading. 
•  formal leadership training
•   regular Lunch and Learns- when the leader is translating who they are and how they've led effectively in the organization to the next potential leaders

     Some of the things that you’ll want to see transferred in this situation include institutional knowledge or the “historian effect” of a seasoned leader. They know a lot of things about what's been tried, what's happened, what's worked, what hasn't worked, the struggles, and the victories. You’ll want that institutional knowledge to be transferred between the current leader and the future successor candidates.

4. Document and Communicate Your Succession Plan

     Your succession strategy should be documented and outlined. The role that your board will play in the process should be clear so it can then be utilized along the way. Your plan should have a pretty good idea of the timeline. What are the processes and how will we know when to start? Sometimes that timeline isn't necessarily saying the transition will begin in ___ years. Instead, that timeline could state what events will trigger the process. For example, “the senior leader will communicate six months in advance, that the succession actions will start to take place.” These written plans provide clarity and a sense of calm because the expectations are known and understood by more people. 

     Once you have your succession plan in writing, don’t forget to communicate that plan. The most successful transitions I've seen have had an incredible amount of transparency about the upcoming plan. Sharing appropriately with your staff and the key stakeholders that are involved or impacted by your mission can be really important. The board's role in succession planning is priceless. This open communication can foster trust and ensure that everyone understands the process and their role in it.     

     Understandably, this is scary, especially for the individual who sees themselves making that ultimate transition. It can be very scary to let the cat out of the bag, but it doesn't have to be done in a way that ties your hands or limits possibilities. Instead, it should be done in a way that is clear, where the path forward is generally understood so that people sense that there's someone navigating. 

     Succession planning is not just about preparing for the inevitable. It's about empowering your organization to thrive in theFace of inevitable change. There are necessary endings and these transitions can be really hard. There's definitely an emotional aspect of this that you don't want to lose track of. But these proactive steps that I've shared with you today, when developed and implemented, really will help to safeguard your mission. They'll strengthen the leadership of your organization and my prayer is that they'll ensure that you have a vibrant future. 

     Well, I like mind maps, so I've created a succession planning mind map that I want to share with you to help you think through the things that we've been talking about today!