Effective Board Succession Planning has long been a focus area of mine, as I regularly see the difference it makes on the ground when done right!
And the importance of supporting Boards with good Succession Planning was only reinforced to me when I did some research amongst my not-for-profit (NFP) networks, and was told loud and clear that Succession Planning is one of the most common areas of good governance that is not done well – or at all, in some cases – within many NFPs.
Given that now is the time to start thinking about your Succession Planning ahead of July-December Annual General Meetings (AGMs), it is timely to revisit some simple steps that will help you do Succession Planning better for your NFP organisation’s Board.
Step One – Start Early
The biggest error I see organisations making with their Succession Planning is leaving it to the last minute.
A mad rush is never the way to get good results with anything, and it is no different with Succession Planning.
Unfortunately, perhaps because it’s not an operational imperative, Succession Planning often gets put on the back burner, or not prioritised at all.
But we need to think differently about Succession Planning and ensure we give it the priority it deserves, as the positive results of doing it well will serve us for years to come.
When I work with organisations on their Succession Planning, we start at least three months (ideally, up to six!) ahead of their AGM/Board appointments date.
This gives us plenty of time to do the important steps below in order to achieve the impactful results we are seeking.
Step Two – Think Deeply
I see organisations spending exorbitant amounts of money with recruiters to get Board members.
And sometimes those Board members don’t last long…what a waste of precious resources!
I much prefer to take an approach that builds Succession Planning capability within organisations, so they are skilled up to do their own recruitment in the future, and so that they (preferably) get quality candidates from within their own extended networks (resulting in a greater connection and, hopefully, a longer tenure).
Thinking really broadly and deeply about who is in your network (and your network’s networks) will open you up to a whole range of people you never thought of as potential Board members.
I truly believe (as I have seen it first hand) that mining your own networks better can make a huge difference to your Board Succession Planning success rate.
Step Three – Be Proactive
It’s all well and good to advertise that you are looking for new Board members. In fact it is important to do that. But don’t make that your only strategy to attract candidates. It is critical that you go out there and initiate conversations with the people you want to target to apply – those you have identified in Step Two above.
This proactive approach is one of the most important steps to take to ensure better Succession Planning.
Step Four – Recruit Well
Now that you have attracted a good pool of candidates, make sure you go through a proper recruitment process. Just because it is a volunteer role doesn’t mean we can skimp on our due diligence – you still don’t want a loose cannon or an axe murderer joining your Board team!
Make sure you interview, reference check, and probity-screen everybody, and use a merit-based selection process to pick the most suitable candidates to join you.
If you follow my four steps outlined above I guarantee you, you will have better success in your Board Succession Planning work!
And if you feel you need some external help to guide you through your Board Succession Planning, I have webinars, training programs and support packages designed to do just that.
So just reach out to me on megan@mjbconsulting.net.au and find out how I can help you with YOUR organisation’s Board Succession Planning needs.
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