Five Essential Facts for Weathering a Change in Leadership

1. A change in top leadership means that your company/organization will change, too. You are at a pivotal moment. Depending on your next steps, the company/organization may falter, may miss a valuable opportunity, or may emerge a stronger, more vital operation.

TIP: Counsel your board and staff that this is more than a staff change. Both will need to be engaged in order for the transition to be successful.

2. A change in leadership entails three phases, all of which are significant:
a. Phase I - Conduct a positive farewell experience for all stakeholders, use the opportunity presented by the transition phase to reflect on the company/organization's goals and mission, and consider what needs to be changed for new leadership.
b. Phase II - Launch the search.
c. Phase III - Ensure the successful transition of the new top executive.

TIP: Be prepared to treat each individual phase with care and attention.

3. Consider your interim leadership structure. Engage others in answering the following key questions:

• How long will it be before a new CEO is hired?
• Do we expect to make personnel and policy changes during that period?
• Will anyone from the current staff apply; will they be considered?
• Should we hire an outside interim director?
• If we hire an interim director, what board/coaching support must be in place?

TIP: Hire someone with past experience as an interim director and who clearly understands the special role and parameters of being an interim, not permanent, director.

4. A search is much more than ''the search.'' You have a remarkable opportunity to plan the next stage of the company/organization's development. Revisit and restate its goals and mission (see 2b above), and determine the type of leadership that will take you where you want to go next.

An appropriate search has several fixed steps. These steps include:

• Establishing a transition committee
• Describing future leadership needs and creating a position description to match
• Guaranteeing a broad pool of candidates who offer cultural competence and diversity as well as management skills
• And, of course: interviewing and making the job offer.

TIP: For nonprofits, consider hiring a professional transition consultant to facilitate the process. Visit www.tsne.org/etp.

5. Don't just throw your new leader into the fray. Just as you thoughtfully said goodbye to your departing CEO/executive director, you want to ensure a successful transition for your new one. You will want to develop a comprehensive plan for the new director, which includes:

• An introduction to key stakeholders
  • For nonprofits this includes board members, staff, volunteers, major funders, partner organizations, elected officials, and others critical to your organization's success.
  • For for-profits this includes board members, staff, shareholders, major customers, suppliers, elected officials, and others critical to your company's success.
• A thorough orientation that outlines the history of the institution, governance policies and issues, a complete description and assessment of current (and anticipated) initiatives, current and projected financial health, and issues specific to your organization
• Opportunities for mentorship

TIP: Prepare a comprehensive written plan in advance to orient your new director.