1 © smithbucklin corporation 2010. all rights reserved. leadership and succession planning: the...

1

© SmithBucklin Corporation 2010. All rights reserved.

Leadership and Succession Planning:

The Essence ofEffective GovernanceJulie Silverstein, President & Chief Operating Officer

2


Discussion Topics

I. Governance and the Board’s Role

II. Leadership Setting a High Bar:

Characteristics of Exceptional and Effective Leaders

Recruiting & Selecting Qualified Volunteer Leaders: The Leadership Succession Process

3


Governance – a definition

The act of governing; exercising authority; decision-making processes in the administration of an organization.

The legal authority of a board to establish policies that will affect the life and work of the organization while holding the board accountable for the outcomes of such decisions.

4


In Volunteer-governed organizations …

Governance =

Joined Leadership in Action

5


6 Things Only A Board Can Do

1. Define the organization’s fundamental purpose for existence:

Who are we? What do we do? For whom do we do it? Why do we do it?

6



2. Chart the organization’s future course:a. Where are we going?

Create the vision; set the strategic direction

b. How will we get there? Develop strategies; review/approve plans

c. When will we get there? Determine resource allocation; funding

priorities

d. How will we know when we get there? Determine metrics; monitor results

7



3. Articulate, nurture and preserve the organization’s core values:

The essential and enduring principles: Define the organization’s heart and soul Determine organization’s character Are meaningful guides

8



4. Communicate, clarify and provide context for the organization’s vision, purpose, core values and strategies with members, partners, other stakeholders and the public-at-large.

9



5. Ensure the organization stays on track:a. Determine, prioritize, monitor programs and

initiatives consistent with mission, values and strategic direction

b. Provide proper financial oversight

c. Negotiate and balance “staying the course” vs. “making incremental/radical change consistent with current/emerging stakeholder needs and market conditions”

d. Determine how problems and opportunities are framed and approached

10



6. Identify, recruit, mentor and set the standards for the organization’s future leaders.

11


Setting the Bar High:

Characteristics of Exceptional and Effective LeadersEverything rises and falls on leadership.

– John Maxwell

12


The Job of Volunteers…

To inspire and enable people to do great work on behalf of the whole.

Whole = an industry, profession, community of interest, or

cause

13


Exceptional & Effective Leaders

Knowledge and skills

Personal characteristics

Situational fit Time availability Professional profile Past volunteer service

14


Knowledge and Skills

Past board experience Industry Strategy Finance Business Negotiation Public speaking Marketing Public policy

15


Do your leaders help your organization soar, enabling it to become high-performing and self-renewing?

Or, weigh down your organization causing it to

become reactive and static?

Personal Qualities of a Leader

What to look for What to develop

What to avoid What to shed

16


Create conditions conducive to renewal, improvement and change management

Is locked in and protective of the status quo


17


Looks forward and discerns the future; thinks strategically

Operates within the pressures of the

moment; focuses on tactics


18


Possesses uncompromised integrity and goodwill

Avoids, stretches, manipulates the

truth


19


Bases decisions and actions on desired business outcomes using combination of data, common sense and instinct

Becomes sidetracked by emotional impulses and

loses track of their role as a board member


20


Focuses outward and on opportunities

Focuses on problems and

finger-pointing


21


Confronts and resolves conflict

Avoids conflict at all costs


22


Is comfortable delegating power

Likes to control and dominate


23


Holds himself/herself and others accountable for delivering on promises and specific performance

Passes the buck; makes excuses. Being liked and/or popular is the

highest priority


24


Generously shares information, resources, praise and credit

Keeps everything close to the vest;

protects credit and the limelight


25


Has enthusiastic followers; commands the respect of colleagues, professional peers and staff

Has dispassionate,

reluctant underlings


26


Views volunteer service as an honor

Views volunteer service as a stage


27


Possesses passion and conviction in organization’s vision and purpose

Is driven by ego and self-interest


28


Understands leadership commitment of time, energy, other requirements before accepting; takes appropriate action when unable to fulfill service commitment

Is enamored with the limelight and/or trappings

of the position


29


Enables open, candid and constructive debate and deliberation

Shoots from the hip; creates chaotic discourse

and criticism


30


Strives for clarity and buy-in

Chases consensus and

certainty

On making decisions and taking action…


31


Recruiting & Selecting Qualified Volunteer Leaders

The Leadership Succession Process

Eagles don’t flock. You have to find them one at a time.

– Ross Perot

32


What Motivates Someone to Commit to a Volunteer Leadership Position

Part of a winning team (board, organization)

Their time will be leveraged in the right way

They can make a difference Ego

33



Personal value/professional growth

Want to be part of an exclusive, privileged club

Good for his/her organization or company

Platform to advance personal agenda

34



Peers – company we keep

Desire to serve/duty to give back

35


Barriers to Volunteering

Dysfunctional boards Operational boards Perceived lack of organization: nothing

documented Roles are not documented, there is no board

or volunteer orientation Perception that it will take too much time Lack of ability to sell company on value-

add of volunteering

36


Make Leadership Succession Strategic

Leadership is a strategic asset for a volunteer organization

Governance modeling should be an objective in your strategic plan every year Each year should move the organization

towards more effective governance and stronger leadership

37



Leadership succession planning is part of the chief elected officer’s role

Discussion of up and coming leaders should be part of board agenda throughout the year High-potential leaders need development

or they’ll go lead another organization

38



Schedule and sponsor board training sessions and leadership sessions as part of regular meetings An hour spent on leadership discussion is

more strategic than an hour reviewing conference scheduling

39


Lessons Learned from the Corporate World

Make the first contact count 1st year volunteers’ experience will

determine their thoughts about the organization

Start reaching out early Qualification starts with 1st year volunteers

Identify top-performing volunteers like you would at your company

40


Lessons Learned from the Corporate World

Put the top-performing volunteers in the high-exposure roles and put the average volunteer in lesser roles Give them an opportunity to have an

impact early in in smaller ways and grow them

Paint the picture of opportunities ahead Recognize and reward top volunteers

Volunteer retention is critical to growing strong leadership

41


Leadership Recruitment: Build an Outreach Plan

This is not your traditional nominating committee process

Typical process IPP heads up committee (issue: on his/her

way out, less investment) Personal calls to people: (issues:

unscripted, inconsistent message)

42



Typical process (continued) Review of applications (issue: don’t ask

the right questions) Screening/interviewing (issue:

unwillingness to disappoint long-time volunteers)

Approval (Issue: boards don’t ask tough questions and ratify recommendations without discussion)

43



Process must be professional and rigorous Must be clearly documented and shared

with candidates Process itself has to be more strategic Create a roadmap just as you would for

any other strategic initiative

44



Define clear set of criteria for evaluating candidates Be sure to look at all facets of the person:

soft skills, hard skill set, ability to serve well, professional profile (includes company represented)

Identify the skill set gaps on the board and use those as an additional guide

Document the above and the board expectations of the process

45



Launch a Search Committee President is the board liaison Chose the chair by picking someone that

embodies the characteristics you are looking to add to the board —not by position within the organization

Chair should have some cache within the field and the organization.

Add members that are close to the grass roots organization, ear to the ground.

46


Outreach Process Recommendations

Set up parallel outreach tracks The “ASK”

Proactive identification of companies/organizations that you’d like to add to the board

Carefully craft the value-add to the organization that would encourage an executive to nominate someone

47


Outreach Process Recommendations

Board member identified candidates in the fieldPersonal calls with scripted, consistent value

points Ask sponsors, strategic partners to identify

people they know within other organizations

Call for nominations There can be diamonds in the rough

48


Review of Candidates & Selection Process

Be sure the best candidates fill the positions And that the process is fair and inclusive

Use clearly outlined predetermined criteria Narrow the field of candidates using a scoring

process--weighting the criteria from most important to least important

Make sure interview process is handled smoothly and professionally with emphasis on communication to candidates

49


Review of Candidates & Selection Process

Interviews should be done face-to-face if possible

Questions should be written out ahead of time, and as consistent as possible

Response back to candidates should be in person (via telephone) not over email and should offer feedback if not selected

50


Finalizing the Slate & Presenting to the Board

Critically analyze the final slate Does it have balance between leading practices

and context? In the end do the most correct thing possible, and

let common sense rule Leading practice is to present a slate that

gets ratified by the membership, not to present multiple candidates running in each open position Your members elect you to make the right

decisions and recommendations on leadership

51


Action Summary: 5 Steps to Leadership Succession Success

1. Review volunteer recruitment and retention process to ensure it is structured to develop strong leaders from day one

2. Strategically align leadership succession with organization’s goals

52


Action Summary: 5 Steps to Leadership Succession Success

3. Develop an outreach plan with clearly documented expectations and launch a Search Committee

4. Retool your selection process to focus on putting strategic leaders into board positions

5. Checks and balances before slate is ratified: does it make sense for the organization? No automatic ratification of slate—take the time as a board to make sure you ask the right questions

53


Leadership and Culture:

The Essence ofEffective Governance

Thank you for your time and attention!

1 © smithbucklin corporation 2010. all rights reserved. leadership and succession planning: the...

Documents

smithbucklin corporation

action slide

organizations vision

organizations future

john maxwell slide

organizations heart

organizations character

board accountable