Article
Not-for-profit management succession planning on a short-term schedule
May 1, 2023 · Authored by Annie Rose Favreau
Proactive planning for leadership and staff departures could be considered a hallmark of high-functioning not-for-profit organizations. A strong culture of management succession planning can keep operations running smoothly, even when critical employees leave, but it can be incredibly challenging to prioritize when leadership is caught up in day-to-day issues.
Many not-for-profits aren’t prepared for the unprecedented levels of turnover they’re facing, but there are some techniques to help streamline management succession planning when confronted with unexpected turnover.
What is management succession planning?
Historically, succession planning has referred to the practice of selecting an individual to directly replace a senior leader. For modern mission-driven organizations, management succession planning should be thought of more holistically.
Within this context, management succession planning is an ongoing process where a not-for-profit continues operations by creating a strong leadership pipeline, increasing redundancy through activities like cross-training, proactively determining key qualifications for critical roles, and identifying options for filling pivotal positions.
Benefits of well-prepared management succession planning
When leadership transitions are managed and communicated well, organizational leaders, staff, and stakeholders can benefit in many ways.
- Employees can feel assured about their roles
- Exits are more likely to feel orderly rather than chaotic
- Potential successors can be identified and developed ahead of time
- Operations can continue running smoothly without pause or disruption
