Board Member Transition and Succession Planning

Transcription

1 Board Member Transition and Succession Planning PRESENTED BY: DEBBIE MURPHY, WDB CHAIR, MONTGOMERY COUNTY MARYLAND LORI STRUMPF, WORKFORCE CONSULTANT AND PRESIDENT, STRUMPF ASSOCIATES PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WORKFORCE BOARDS, 2017

2 OPENING QUESTIONS How many of you know a long-time nonprofit leader who has recently retired? How many of you have had a key person leave? How many have had a key board member rotate off or leave and not had other leaders? What is difficult about this conversation? MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

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4 What is Succession Planning? An effort to protect the organization s capacity to perform key functions, sustain important relationships, and fulfill its commitments during a leadership transition. What is the conversation about board succession like with your WDB? What are common concerns? MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

5 Benefits of Succession Planning Aligns board development with strategic vision Builds leadership capacity Develops pool of potential successors Opportunity to diversify board leadership Makes ED job more doable Builds board leadership and ownership MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

6 Lessons Learned Thoughtful succession planning prepares an agency for leadership transitions, expected or unexpected A successful leadership transition for sustainable board membership requires a lot up-front effort and time Lack of succession planning can result in a post-transition meltdown An effort to develop staff and volunteers (board) for future leadership needs and opportunities MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

7 Types of Succession Plans Emergency: Preparing for an unplanned volunteer departure Development: Board development as a succession planning strategy Departure-defined MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

8 Departure Defined The shortcoming of Succession Planning is that it treats the departure and replacement of a leader as an event rather than a transition. Recognizing the difference between an event and a transition Buying new furniture is an event Moving to a new home is a transition Events produce specific outcomes (Truck delivers new furniture) Transitions are slower and may defy the definition of their completion (Kids make new friends) MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

9 Elements of a Positive Transition Notice of at least 60 days; and attention to terms and when they end Good relationships between departing board member and staff Recently updated strategic plan Engaged board MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

10 Succession of Board Chair The Importance of Board Leadership The quality of leadership of the Board of a non-profit organization is extremely important to its ongoing success and sustainability. Having a person in the chair s role who can provide real leadership, enable the organization s ability to be mission driven, and assist the Executive Director in raising funds and articulating the vision for the organization are key elements in a successful nonprofit organization. A chair whom is a true leader can make a long-lasting impact on the organization. This is true even if your WDB is an advisory body. MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

11 Most organizations can survive the successful election to the Board of an individual or two whose group participation skills and leadership attributes are less than stellar, as other stronger members of the Board will generally neutralize any adverse consequences to the organization. However, placing Board members into the organization s highest leadership positions is a much higher-stakes proposition. Persons in elected leadership positions with mediocre leadership skills will, at best, do no harm, but might cause the organization to miss strategic advantageous opportunities. Persons with poor leadership skills may create organization dysfunctions that may take years from which to recover, if ever. MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

12 Role of the Board Chair The Board Chair needs to enter the role with a set of key skills and abilities and a thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a Board member. This person serves as the senior volunteer in the organization and needs to have the ability to act as an orchestra leader, pulling together the Board, the staff, and the volunteers in the organization to all perform effectively together in fulfilling the organization s mission. MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

13 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities of the Board Chair Demonstrate a strong knowledge of principles, ethics and practices of successful organizations. Demonstrate excellent verbal communication, interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Effectively manage staff and Board. Work effectively with a diverse set of stakeholders Be comfortable with presenting, informing and motivating individuals and groups about mission and philosophy. Demonstrate clarity and strength in handling confidentiality. Set the standard of behavior for the Board. MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

14 Roles of the Board Chair I. Focus on the mission of the organization and plans for the achievement of that mission. II. Partner with the Executive Director. III. Set norms and culture for the Board. IV. Meet individually with each Board Member to discuss the shared mission. V. Engage the Board on outcomes. VI. Help to lead and facilitate fundraising efforts. VII. Make significant donations to the organization. VIII. Represent the Board of Directors as a spokesperson to the general public and at outside events. IX. Generate the Board meeting agendas in concert with the Executive Director. X. Control and run the agenda, keeping within time limits. XI. Demand good reports from the Executive Director and from committees. XII. Review financial and budgeting information with the Treasurer and the Executive Director. XIII. Work in close collaboration with the Board Development Committee. XIV. Select Committee Chairs in coordination with Executive Director and Board of Directors. XV. Groom and help to develop the next chair. MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

15 Define a Development Process for Future Board Leadership At all too many non-profit organizations, the longer term leadership for governing the organization is left to chance. Such organizations end up pleading with an outgoing Chair who has already served for quite some number of years to please, stay on just one more year The vitality of a Board can be reflected in the turnover in the Board, as there is a desire of many volunteers to serve on the Board and to help the organization in any way they can. However, a common malady is for organizations to just try and fill Board slots, irrespective of whether or not the individuals are qualified and could contribute meaningfully, much less provide critical leadership. Such an organization may end up with a new Board Chair because nobody else will serve. The way to avoid such dilemmas is to consciously and deliberately plan and invest in Board members so that leadership succession is assured. MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

16 About Lori Lori Strumpf has over thirty years in the field of organizational development and change management in human services and workforce development organizations. Lori has been in business as Strumpf Associates: Center for Strategic Change for the last 30 years. She is a nationally known expert in organizational management, training and design for education, training, and human resource development systems. Prior to starting her business, Lori was the Assistant Director for the National Association of Private Industry Councils. She is a founding member of the National Youth Employment Coalition. She has been a Senior Associate at Brandeis University, Center for Human Resources, Heller School for Public Policy. Prior to moving to Washington, D.C. to work on the Vice President s Task Force for Youth Employment, Lori was the Assistant Director to a project for court diverted delinquent youth. She also worked at Florida State Prison, counseling prisoners. Strumpf Associates is a small cadre of training and consulting experts, headquartered in Washington, DC. The Principals in Strumpf Associates have decades of experience helping public and not for profit organizations manage change, build systems, build leadership teams, build boards, and improve program quality and customer satisfaction. SA provides organizational change management consulting and executive coaching to schools, workforce organizations, and welfare organizations. Over the last several years, Lori has helped design and implement over 300 one-stop career development centers. Currently, she works on behalf of the business community in partnership with local elected officials in eight communities around the country to assist in developing a strategic approach to workforce development. Lori Strumpf has a Masters and Specialist Degree in Educational Counseling from the University of Florida. Contact: strumpfctr@aol.com Website: MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH

17 About Debbie Debbie Murphy has more than thirty years experience in leadership development as a business owner and through the various governance roles she has been elected to serve in a number of well respected industry and community non-profits. Most notably these organizations include Associated Builders and Contractors, the American Subcontractors Association, Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools Student Construction Trades Foundation and Rotary International. She is presently Chair of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Workforce Development Board. As a 1998 recipient of the Ernst and Young Maryland Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Business Turnarounds, Debbie is nationally recognized for her tactical use of succession planning in achieving business success. A big fan of thoughtful and deliberate recruitment of Board and Committee members to ensure leadership continuity, she strives to develop talent pipelines which encourage members to build upon their capabilities in delivering on strategic goals. MURPHY AND STRUMPF MARCH