Author Topic: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group  (Read 3931 times)

RetiredAt63

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Hi

I am involved with a small group, we have a constitution and everything formal.  One of the big problems with the group is that there is no obvious succession plan in the executive. There are all the obvious positions, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors.  There are also other jobs that are done by specific people (i.e. getting speakers, major fund-raising projects that are annual).  What has happened is that some people have been in office forever (no term limits) and then when they get tired (inevitably), there is no-one in line waiting to take over that job.  Worst is that the VP is doing two jobs (VPing and another activity that is more important to that person) and so there is no-one ready to take over from the President.

When I was teaching, there was always the understanding that the term of Department Chair was limited, and then we would have to have an election, maybe the old chair would stay, maybe someone new would get suckered in.  In this group the assumption is that anyone on the executive will stay until they are totally burned out and then we will have to scramble madly to replace them.  The scramble is very hard on everyones' nerves, as you can imagine.

So, suggestions?  And especially any books or web sites?  I want to be able to  stand up at some point and say, everyone please read this, it gives solutions to our issue.

RetiredAt63

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2015, 08:15:04 AM »
Lots of looks, no advice  :-(

Should I move it to "Off topic"?  Surely someone has been in this situation and improved it?  Or seen it done?

Le Poisson

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2015, 08:30:40 AM »
I've seen similar in Yacht clubs.

The club has a membership of 60 or so boats. The boats each have about 1.7 adults, yet a core group of maybe 10 members form the exec. Of those, there are usually some who aren't comfortable with decision making so they take on roles like Social convener, education, and secretary. Some are A-type and take on roles like Cruise Director and Race Captain. Now you are down to 6 out of 100 who can sit in a  true leadership/director's position. Out of those 6 you need a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Harbourmaster (makes dock assignments/peacekeeper between boaters), Fleet Captain (Maintenance role), Membership Director, and so on.

Since no one else will step in, you end up recirculating the positions between the same group over and over, the agenda begins to repeat, and then finally the whole club is stuck at status quo because no fresh ideas are reaching the executive. The next step in the downward spiral is when status quo becomes engrained as 'how we do it' and change is resisted.

If I were you I would look over your group's constitution to see what can be changed in order to have new blood become a core principle in the way it operates. Once that is in place you can look at recruiting with leadership in mind and making leadership a goal for members of the group. If the group is closed, then you have your answer in your question. Terms need to be limited and roles clearly defined with a XX months mandate in order to force turnover.

The mechanism for appointment can also be defined there - by appointment, election, or consensus.

RetiredAt63

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2015, 08:38:47 AM »
This is us.

What I would like to see is:  VP is in line to become P when the P steps down.  (I have seen this in larger organizations, and it works!).  Benefits - VP can take over when P is away/sick/overwhelmed by other things, VP is learning the ropes, it is easier to find a new VP who can learn the ropes than a new P who is thrown into the mess.  Right now our VP and our Treasurer are doing two jobs, but for the treasurer it is clear that the two jobs are not necessarily done by the same person.  So it looks like we need to separate out the two jobs the VP is dong into VP job and other job.  If VP is not will to step into P's shoes, then VP should be a Director (or not even that) and just do the other job.  Obvious right?

But of course this has been going on forever, and so the trick is - we need an "authority" in organization management to tell our executive this.  Since we don't have one in the membership, and that person is not me, I need a book (or two or three) that say this.  Books?????? I can wave around at meetings?

I've seen similar in Yacht clubs.

The club has a membership of 60 or so boats. The boats each have about 1.7 adults, yet a core group of maybe 10 members form the exec. Of those, there are usually some who aren't comfortable with decision making so they take on roles like Social convener, education, and secretary. Some are A-type and take on roles like Cruise Director and Race Captain. Now you are down to 6 out of 100 who can sit in a  true leadership/director's position. Out of those 6 you need a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Harbourmaster (makes dock assignments/peacekeeper between boaters), Fleet Captain (Maintenance role), Membership Director, and so on.

Since no one else will step in, you end up recirculating the positions between the same group over and over, the agenda begins to repeat, and then finally the whole club is stuck at status quo because no fresh ideas are reaching the executive. The next step in the downward spiral is when status quo becomes engrained as 'how we do it' and change is resisted.

If I were you I would look over your group's constitution to see what can be changed in order to have new blood become a core principle in the way it operates. Once that is in place you can look at recruiting with leadership in mind and making leadership a goal for members of the group. If the group is closed, then you have your answer in your question. Terms need to be limited and roles clearly defined with a XX months mandate in order to force turnover.

The mechanism for appointment can also be defined there - by appointment, election, or consensus.

Le Poisson

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2015, 08:56:02 AM »
One way that will not be popular at the outset, but can become more palatable over time is to follow Roberts Rules for your meetings. If you do this, rotate the position of chair between your executive.

Once all are comfortable standing up to direct the conversation and keep meetings on track, they have the first essential skill for being a VP/Pres. and the roles will be less scary, plus its less work for the pres since they don't have to play peacekeeper, PLUS meetings will go faster and be more focused with a good chair.

You may find a couple changes when following Roberts - first you may lose some of your exec who don't like playing by the rules and being told to stay on topic. Second, you may find new people coming into the exec who like being heard and like the empowerment of having the floor.

As this happens, you may be able to change the face of the executive and see new people filling roles they currently are not.

I used to HATE meetings that followed Roberts and I thought it stifled creativity and free speech until I was on the exec of Canada's largest science fair. There they followed Roberts to the letter and the meetings were incredible. YMMV. I can't get my team at work to follow any sort of meeting decorum so I'm very aware of the challenges that come with this.

mm1970

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2015, 08:58:58 AM »
That's a tough one, but it depends on the group, if it's paid or volunteer, and the desires of the group.  My husband's company elects board members from within the company, for example, and chooses a president from there.

Our elementary school PTA has 2 year terms (min), but it's hard to get people to do more than that because they burn out.  So, sorry that's not much help.

asauer

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2015, 09:20:05 AM »
In our organization, we do a couple of things to prevent the unexpected changes you mention as well as create stability:
1. Establish clear, singular roles.  Here is your job, don't do other stuff.  Since we've changed to doing this, we have much less burn-out and unexpected terminations
2. Establish terms- our limit is 3 years but could be 2-4.  Research shows anything longer than 4 years will create entrenchment and stagnation for initiatives.
3.  Every 6 months review the "bench" or those employees/ Sr. volunteers who have "what it takes" to enter the executive level.  Intentionally involve those people on high impact/ high visibility projects.  It tests them (in a good way) and develops their skill. If you have officers who are overwhelmed, these are the people they should delegate to.
4.  A year before the officer's term is up, we select their replacement.  They're final year (could be 6 months- whatever works for you), is focused on getting the new person comfortable and up-to-speed.

These are changes we made within the last 10 years and they have positively impacted consistency in leadership.

Hope this helps!

Amber

RetiredAt63

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2015, 12:29:38 PM »
Thanks to all of you! I knew this group would have good feedback.  Everyone on the board is a volunteer from the membership, this is a small charitable organization.  Most members are older (yes, I retired at 63, they are older than me, so that is "older", right?) so the energy is not always there to do a lot.

Robert's Rules of Order - wow, so obvious.  We basically followed it at work, when meetings got hijacked it was useful - we used it to force votes, force secret ballot votes, force more recognition of speakers.  I use it internally when I run meetings, but I don't know if this group uses it implicitly or explicitly or not at all.  Something to find out.

I agree that there needs to be more acknowledgement of terms and roles - this year's executive was better, I think, but again it is implicit, not explicit.  And following built-in rules does help - the President appointed a nominations committee (which is in our bylaws) at our last meeting, whereas some years it has simply been the executive saying, "we are back, OK?" or "we are short, volunteers?" which of course is not a good situation either way.

Terms - there is enough happening that one year terms are not very effective, but I can see 3 years as optimum/maximum.  Plus when there is a maximum, it forces members to think about replacement.

Again, any books on organization that I can show board members?

Axecleaver

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2015, 02:13:21 PM »
Posting to follow. I serve as a trustee for an Elk's lodge of about 300 members (about 75 active). The leadership rotates between a dedicated corps of volunteers numbering about 10 members. We have two recent trustees (myself +1) with a lot of business background that the leadership approached specifically to add some rigor to the club management.

I'd second Robert's Rules as a good first step, and make sure you have someone taking minutes every meeting if you don't already.

Your original premise was that you need to manage changing of the guard among a small group. Perhaps what you really want to do is bring in additional talent to the small group, which would help solve your problem in a different way. It's always hard finding folks who can commit to the demands of the roles.

candygirl

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2015, 07:00:05 PM »
The group I was on the committee for - we alternated elections every year for various roles, so there was always 3 positions available for newer people. Obviously more tenured members and former board members tended to be in the VP and President's roles, but it allowed for opportunity to learn board activities for newer people and bring new members forth. People would have to be nominated as well.

Rural

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Re: I need advice on how to manage executive succession in a small group
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2015, 03:55:56 AM »
Just posting to say I'm in a similar situation. I stepped down from P to VP this year at my own insistence, and I'm about to step off the executive board after this year's term, which will undoubtedly cause just such a scramble. But I've been on the board as P or VP for seven years, I'm the only one not retired, and I'm just done.


I'll stay on the BoD and serve as grantwriter, which is what they really need me for.