BOARD DEVELOPMENT COURSELEADERSHIP IN TRANSITION

INSTRUCTOR ANNE ACKERSON

This program is made possible with support from American Express Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency

Leading by Design:

Maintaining the Momentum with Training

• What is board leadership succession?• What is at Stake?• Is it a policy, a procedure, a plan?• Who’s responsible for board leadership succession?• Creating a “Leadership Pipeline”

•Defining Leadership Attributes•Articulating future board leadership needs•What the organization needs to have in place•Recruiting for leadership

• How to Start• Succession Planning Checklist

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What is Board Leadership Succession?

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It is an organizational mindset and commitment that does not leave leadership to chance:

• Goes beyond standard Bylaws• Grounded in the dynamism of nonprofit organizations• Strategic approach to match skills and attributes with organizational needs• Requires organizational commitment to developing the leadership bench• It’s more about the future than now

What’s at Stake?4

Yvonne Harrison and Vic Murray, “The Best and Worst Board Chairs”, The Nonprofit Quarterly (summer 2007)

Board Chairs Wield A Lot of Powero Organizational success is directly related to the effectiveness of

a board’s chairpersono Board chairs have influence over other board members, CEO’s

and management teams, and external stakeholders

An Effective Board Chair…o Is committed to action and exerts influence collaborativelyo Is a force for changeo Possesses both “Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence”o Is a “conductor” not a “caretaker”

What’s at Stake?

Smooth Transition Incoming and outgoing leadership can overlap Competencies can be strengthened Trust built

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Is Board Leadership Succession a policy, a procedure, a plan?

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Language in the Bylaws that speaks to the issue and refers to a specific document

Job description for the chairperson’s role that includes Specific responsibilities to the full board, individual board members, CEO and

other key staff, and stakeholders Qualifications for the job

A policy or procedural statement for use by the board, related committees and staff leaders

Identification of board succession issues in the strategic plan

What ought to be in writing and approved

Who is responsible for Board Succession Planning?

Full Board Board Development/Nominating Committee Staff Leadership

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Highly – rated Attributes Trustworthiness Intelligence Good Listening skills

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Creating a “Leadership Pipeline”:Defining Leadership Attributes

Low – rated Attributes Dictorial CriticalMotivated by self - interest

Yvonne Harrison and Vic Murray, “The Best and Worst Board Chairs”, The Nonprofit Quarterly (summer 2007)

What would be on your organization’s list of leadership attributes?What would be on your organization’s list of leadership attributes?

Creating a “Leadership Pipeline”: Articulating future board leadership needs

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Important to come together around a list of “must-have” leadership competencies that embody specific attributes, such as

Relationship competencies Commitment and action competencies Analytic skill competencies “Willingness to create” competencies Ability-to-influence competencies

Creating a “Leadership Pipeline”: What the Organization Needs to Have in Place

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A Well – Organized Board Attracts Leaders• Timely and focused board meetings• Commitment to delegation of responsibilities, transparency, and

accountability• Strategic plan in place and best practices identified• Free flowing dissemination of information with senior staff• Effective communication systems• Procedures in place to reduce individual’s fears or reluctance to assume a

leadership role

Creating a “Leadership Pipeline”: What the Organization Needs to Have in Place

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Expose potential leaders to

the leadership comptetencies your organization ranks highly current or former outstanding board members innovative thinkers who will encourage them to stretch

Creating a “Leadership Pipeline”: Recruiting for leadership

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Armed with knowledge about the Organization’s current and future strategic directions

(strategic plan) Leadership competencies necessary to achieve these

directions Current leadership competencies that reside on the

board (inventory) Policies and procedures in place to develop potential

leaders

Your Board Development Committee can Your Board Development Committee can initiate the cycle of identification, initiate the cycle of identification, cultivation and recruitment.cultivation and recruitment.

How to start?If necessary, identify board

champions to make the case for a succession planning strategy.

Evaluate strength and scope of current Nominating/Board Development Committee; act on weaknesses

Full Board/Key Staff/Key Stakeholder Discussion about Leadership Needs

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ToolsSuccession Planning

Assessment: what’s in place/what needs to be developed?

Assessment Action Plan: identify, assign and timeframe tasks

Skills Inventory

Strategic Plan

Succession Planning ChecklistBoard Members2008 Federation of Community Organizations & Non-Profit Sector Leadership Program, Dalhousie University

Our organization has a strategic plan to which it is committed

Board roles and responsibilities have been documented and reviewedBoard Member job descriptionChair job descriptionConflict of interest guidelinesBoard members code of conductBoard committee roles descriptions

The future skills and talent composition of the board have been assessed in light of the our organization’s future board leadership needs

Organizational expertiseRepresentationCommunity/issue knowledgeFund raising abilityCommitment to goals

We have a board recruitment planWe have a three year board recruitment/board succession outlook A standing recruitment or nominations committee is in place and reporting at least three times

a yearA board member prospects list has been developed and is up to dateOur recruitment package is up-to-dateInformation on our board, board member duties and on the nomination or recruitment process

is on our websiteWe are using our committees as stepping stones for the board

We have board development/education planWe will be conducting a board self-evaluation and will act on the resultsWe have planned (x number of educational sessions/development opportunities for board and staff

We have taken steps towards a more diverse and multi-generational board Our recruitment plan includes some diversity goals

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NYS ARTS BLOG www.nysarts.typepad.com

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Webinars and

Conversations on the BLOG!

o Ask questions

o Review Topics

o Share information

o Explore new ideas

Webinars and

Conversations on the BLOG!

o Ask questions

o Review Topics

o Share information

o Explore new ideas

On to the Blog! Do you have one or two

take-aways from these webinars that you intend to implement right away?

If so, what are they?