Creating an executive succession plan doesn’t have to be so difficult. We've included five tips to guide you towards your executive succession plan.

1. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Governance for Lunch
Webinar Series 2018
5 Tips for an
Easy Executive
Succession Plan
June 19, 2018
12:00-12:30 PM EST

2. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 20182
Housekeeping
 Webinar lasts 30 minutes
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3. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Governance for Lunch
Webinar Series 2018
Welcome:
Wendy Deming,
COO/Corporate
Secretary, GCCF

4. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 20184
VP/Governance Technology Evangelist
Dottie Schindlinger
 Member of BoardEffect’s founding team
 20+ years in governance roles
 Frequent governance presenter: Independent
Sector, ASAE, LeadingAge, AHA, CUES, and AGB
 Author, media commentator, blog contributor
for Forbes, WSJ, Corporate Board Member,
Trustee, Trusteeship & more

5. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
5 Tips for Executive
Succession Planning
5
1 Make planning a priority
2 Map out the path & vision
3 Engage current ED & senior leaders
4 Cultivate rising talent & fill gaps
5 Monitor & improve the process

6. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Nonprofit EDs who
plan to leave within
5 years
Nonprofits with a
written succession
plan in place
Nonprofit EDs who
had a performance
review last year
6
Why should Executive Succession Planning Be a Priority?
67% 17% 45% 33%
EDs “very confident”
their board will hire
the right successor
Data from 2011 Daring to Lead Report
1

7. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Board of Trustees
Ultimately responsible for hiring,
retaining, supporting, compensating &
evaluating the nonprofit’s ED
Executive Director
ED’s role includes identifying & cultivating
a talent pipeline, spearheading succession
plans, and being held accountable
Senior Leaders
Help the ED identify rising talent &
opportunities for growth, professional
development, and retention strategies
7
Who Should Be Involved in Succession Planning?
Shared Accountability
Ensuring the long-term sustainability of
the organization is something the full
organization shares in; talent
development should be incentivized,
monitored and evaluated regularly
1

8. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Don’t put it off!
Committee (e.g., Governance, HR, Executive,
Compensation) cam organize the process
Create contingencies for different kinds of
transitions:
– Planned departure (e.g. retirement, merger)
– Unexpected departure (e.g. health crisis,
move, resignation)
– Termination
8
Make Time to Plan1

9. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 20189
Map Your
Leadership Vision:
What kind of leadership
team is required to achieve
your strategic priorities over
the next 3-5 years?
2

10. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
1. Are we clear on our organization’s strategic
priorities – a.k.a. our “north star”?
2. What decisions are critical to our success, and are
we clear on who makes them?
3. Who’s responsible to achieve our priorities, and
does our structure enable success?
4. Do we have the right people in the right roles with
the right goals/incentives to achieve success?
5. Have we defined the processes/tools to enable our
team to be effective?
10
5 Key Questions re:
Leadership Development
2
Adapted from The Bridgespan Group’s
“The Effective Organization”

11. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Engage the Current ED
Make succession planning part of the ED’s
job description
Include questions about succession planning
on the ED’s annual performance evaluation
Request regular updates from the ED on
talent pipeline development
Provide ongoing support to the ED –
coaching, peer-networking, prof. dev.
11
3

12. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Seek the ED’s feedback on how the org.:
– Provides leadership opp’s for rising stars –
leading teams, making presentations, etc.
– Provides professional development
opportunities across the team
– Sets goals, tracks progress & rewards success
Hold ED accountable as “recruiter in chief”
Partner with ED to help fill talent gaps
12
Cultivate rising talent & fill any gaps4

13. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
 Include success measures in the plan
 Report on progress at every board
meeting
 Use tech tools:
– Online plan templates
– Anonymous ED performance
review questionnaires
– Committee progress reports
– Candid, anonymous feedback from
HR & rising talent
– Secure channel for ED to connect
& receive support
13
Monitor/Improve the Process5

14. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 201814
It’s a marathon,
not a sprint.
Patience, persistence
& repetition rules.
Apply what you’ve
learned right away.

15. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 201815
Learn More!
Visit the GovTechGeek page on the
BoardEffect website for more resources!
boardeffect.com/GovTechGeek

16. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Governance for Lunch
Webinar Series 2018
Q&A – What’s On
Your Mind?

17. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Contact Me!
17
@GovTechGeek
linkedin.com/in/GovTechGeek
slideshare.net/BoardEffect
boardeffect.com/blog

18. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 201818
(866) 672-2666
info@boardeffect.com
Boardeffect.com
1515 N. Courthouse Road, Suite 210
Arlington, VA 22201 US
Contact Us

19. Governance for Lunch Webinar Series 2018
Governance for Lunch
Webinar Series 2018
Thank you!