Description

Succession Planning doesn’t just happen. It is an intentional effort to achieve sustainability and viability for your organization. The need for a process-driven succession plan is evident in the number of mergers driven by the retirement or passing of key leaders.

A succession plan must incorporate awareness of each candidate’s leadership style, values, and alignment with the strategic objectives of the Board of Directors.

The L2L process for completing a succession plan involves the following steps.

Phase One – Understanding the strategic alignment of each candidate

Phase Two – Evaluating the leadership styles and tendencies of each candidate

Phase Three – Evaluating the vital cultural attributes of each candidate – core values

Phase Four – Grading the readiness of each candidate to step into the new role

Phase Five – Evaluating the primary strategic objectives the board seeks in the next leader – Transformation, continuation, expansion, growth, enhanced member engagement, expanded community involvement, or taking it to the next level.

Phase Six – Succession at a Glance (SAAG) – a complete overview of steps one through four, including candidate evaluations, leadership style preferences, alignment with the organization’s core values and mission, and recommendations for each candidate’s ability to fulfill the board’s primary objectives. Also included are recommendations about rolling out the succession plan and announcing the rankings of the candidates. This would be coupled with recommendations for each candidate regarding their development needs.