Succession Matters

OK—Boomers (are finally leaving)

My generation—the Boomers—are finally heading for the exit.  For years, we were the founders, the power base, those who started and ran so many nonprofits.  The Me Generation, as we were dubbed was supposedly full of narcissists who cared only about our own self fulfillment.  And yet, so many of us went on to found nonprofits whose missions writ large was to help others. And yes, too often we felt that only we had the right answers as to how to do… well everything.   This, in turn, often meant that those in the next generation down-Gen X—didn’t have much of a chance of becoming a nonprofit leader.  Their boomer boss held on for all that was worth.

Their downside of this was/is the fact that small nonprofits in particular, just never build a bench of people who could take over should the boomer boss leave—by choice, because the board got tired of their narcissism, or because they got hit by that proverbial bus.

And because many boomers felt that if they didn’t die at 27 (when so many rock stars flared out), they were here for the long haul.

Did I mention how many of us have rich fantasy lives?

The biggest fantasy being that we needn’t worry about what comes after we leave.

But now it is becoming more and more of an issue.  Boomers are leaving—and so many in the younger generations actually don’t want our jobs.  They see the stress, the burnout, the long long very long hours, and understandably think, “uh-uh, not for me.”

Without a strong, committed leader, some small nonprofits will close.  I hear it all the time;  Our Executive Director IS the organization.  And if true, then when that ED leaves, the organization must close.  But if the board sees the value of the work that is being done, and if they want to ensure that it continues to be done, a succession plan is a critical part of ensuring that.

Succession plans, of course, are not just for Boomer Bosses.  All organizations should have a succession plan, even if their CEO is twelve and just came on board.  It is a plan not so much for how you transition from one leader to another.  Rather it is a plan for how you work now so when that transition happens, it will be smooth and pretty stress free.

Like your strategic plan, your succession plan is not something you write once and then put on a shelf and hope you remember which shelf it is on when the ED leaves.  No, this is something your pull out regularly, update as needed, and make sure that every member of the board understands the various elements.

The most important parts of the succession plan are making sure that the ED has created (and keeps updated) a “desk manual.”  A desk manual is a written document that provides clear instructions for daily tasks, processes, and responsibilities.

The second most important thing is that all  work relationships are not only relationships with the ED but are shared with other members of staff and board.  This includes donors, funders, and partners.  Over my years working in and with nonprofits, I have seen robust organizations go almost dry when the ED leaves, and no one really knows “their” donors or funders.  Rebuilding those relationships can take years, and often just doesn’t occur.

There are, of course, other areas that a succession plan must cover from internal and external communication plans to ways to build a bench of people who could cover at least specific parts of an ED’s job.

The most critical aspect of this is that the board must not wait until the ED has announced they are leaving or has left.  This latter is often called an emergency transition plan—and it is clear why emergency is the right word.

Be smart.  Develop a succession plan long before you need it, and make sure you are upgrading it every few years.

You will thank me when the time comes that your ED (or any critical employee) leaves.