Interims and Succession Planning for Leadership Roles

All organizations will experience a time when an ED/CEO, Development Director, or another higher level role, makes plans to leave. Sometimes you have notice—a year, if you’re really lucky—and sometimes, you don’t. This can feel like a time that is hectic and scary, but if you have plans in place, it can, in fact, run smoothly.In today’s episode, we’re talking about how to handle interim roles, what to do and what not to do, as well as what the real purpose of an interim. We’re also talking about the importance of having a succession plan in place, even if the CEO isn’t planning on leaving any time soon. Shit happens, and you want your organization and your board members to be prepared so the interim transition does not cause chaos. We’ll share some actionable takeaways that you can implement to make sure you’re on top of things as well as spill some horror stories we’ve experienced.What’s in this episode:[04:29] How hiring an internal interim CEO can be to your detriment if you’re actively looking outside the organization, and how hiring an actual interim CEO before hiring someone long-term is beneficial[09:44] How an interim’s main purpose is to do “clean up” work (not lead a strategic planning process, for example) after a long-term ED and before bringing in someone new[14:58] What to address up front (and what to avoid) if you have a board member step into an interim position[20:28] Why a succession plan is so important to have in place for decision-making and managing power dynamics[26:00] The struggles in development and fundraising that have organizations relying more on interims, and the silver lining of being able to shake things up with someone new[34:07] Actionable takeaways that will ensure that staff interim periods run as smoothly as possibleFor full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://thenonprofitreframe.com/98-interims-and-succession-planning-for-leadership-roles/Do you love our show and want to hear even more from us? You can get behind-the-scenes episodes and more by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nonprofitreframe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.