Implement a succession planning process
19.01.2022
Succession planning is routinely ignored by boards of small and large organizations. Often, board members don’t want to offend the organizational leader by asking about retirement plans. Some abdicate their duty by letting the current leader pick the next one. Boards need two kinds of succession plans. An emergency succession plan details who would step in as acting organizational leader in the even the current leader was suddenly incapacitated for several months. A general succession plan identifies potential successors of the organizational leader and describes leadership development plans for these individuals. For larger organizations, the succession plan may be extended to cover a few other key staff positions, for example, director of development. The point of having a succession plan and reviewing it annually is to provide leadership continuity for the organization.
