Association Leadership - March/April 2008 - (Page 23)

succession plans Jobneeded to ensure executive continuity Documentation Tools A critical component in succession planning is, to the best extent possible, replacing reliance on individuals with reliance on systems. And a key to success is to establish systems that make it possible for the organization to go on when a key individual leaves. Succession planning is just a matter of making sure there are some key pieces in place to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. The following are organizational questions and items that relate not just to the executive director, but to other key positions as well, including volunteers. 1. Are job descriptions for key employees current? Part of the annual evaluation process for the ED and staff should be to update job descriptions. This is actually a critical part of any effective evaluation, having the tool as a way to measure performance. 2. Ask “what do you do?” This is different from a job description. It is simply a task listing what an employee does. What do you do every day? What do you do once a week? What do you do monthly? Quarterly? Annually? The list is invaluable if there is a sudden departure, and it helps a replacement get up to speed quicker. It can also be used to distribute workload if an employee is gone for an extended amount of time. things that happen regularly throughout the year. Create a calendar and have each staff person add critical jobs – listing them in every month, including magazine deadline, sponsorships, dues renewals, ﬁling dates, events, audits, board meetings, etc. This can serve as a valuable tool for the entire staff and board. 4. Where is everything? One of the most frustrating things when someone leaves is realizing you have no idea where they kept the combination to the safe or keys to the AC unit, what happens when the server goes down or an alarm goes off, or who is the maintenance or IT person. All staff should keep an updated list of key “stuff.” The ED and another key staff member should have copies of the lists. 3. Keep a calendar In addition to the task list, have key staff ﬁll out an annual calendar to show 5. Critical relationships For every employee who helps your organization work smoothly, there are a number of outside people who help make the work happen as well. It may be the CPA, payroll service, lobbyists, printers, outside salespeople, AV, trade show personnel, investment ﬁrm, vendors with promotional products, mailing service, etc. Will someone new immediately know the relationships that are critical to getting the job done? This is another list where employees should note who they rely on. By spending addressing these points, you’ll be ahead of the game in times of change. ◆ Excerpted with permission from Hildy Gottlieb, president of the CommunityDriven Institute at Help 4 NonProﬁts (www.Help4NonProﬁts.com). Hildy is a frequent keynote speaker and the author of “FriendRaising: Community Engagement Strategies for Boards Who Hate Fundraising but Love Making Friends.” March/April 2008 | Association LEADERSHIP 23 http://www.help4nonprofits.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - March/April 2008

Association Leadership - March/April 2008 Contents Chairman's Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions Southwest Showcase Highlights Feature: Succession Plans Interim Executives Job Documentation Coaching: A Walk in the Park Perspectives Technology Column Association Case Study Government Affairs: Focus On Electronic Resources New Members Community Spotlight Houston Index to Advertisers Advertiser.com Board of Directors

Association Leadership - March/April 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.