Thinking of DIY-ing your succession plan? Watch out for these red flags

We say this often at Vanderbloemen: If you've seen one church (or nonprofit or values-based business), you've seen one, meaning that there's no cookie cutter solution to the unique circumstances each of these organizations face. Nowhere is this more evident than in succession planning. Every client we serve has a different makeup of stakeholders, boards, old guard, volunteers, community, and staff. There's a lot to parse out, even without the emotion that very often comes with the question of, "Who is going to take over next?"

What is not unique, however, is what is most likely to complicate DIY succession planning. Over the years, we've been able to discern distinct pitfalls that derail otherwise solid succession plans. We hope you'll take note and look out for these common succession planning red flags when making your own plan. 

1. You have unrealistic expectations for timing 

This is probably the most common succession planning red flag we see. Reasonable--and successful--leadership transitions can take years. When decision makers look for a “microwave” succession plan when a “crockpot” recipe is a better solution, the organization suffers. We've found this to be especially true where a church or nonprofit is planning to hire from within. Just because your future leader is already part of your team, it doesn't mean that they're ready to step into a leadership role. Set everyone up for success by appreciating the time it takes to do succession the right way. 

2. You've got your head in the sand

We're all just one stroke of bad luck away from disaster. This is true for your organization, too. Your organization is only one generation away from extinction and only one serious disruption away from irrelevance. Wishful thinking cannot be part of your succession planning process. Hoping for the best is irresponsible and damaging to your organization, its mission, and the people it serves. If succession isn't handled with the seriousness it deserves, you risk people leaving, decreases in giving, and the end of the organization itself. 

3. You're holding on to "the way things are" too tightly

Modeling future strategies around yesterday’s successes can handcuff future leaders (even leaders from inside the organization) so they cannot make necessary modifications and changes that fit a new era. You need the flexibility to adapt and think opportunistically about what future leaders may need. Think about the direction your organization is heading in and what future goals you'd like to see accomplished. Don’t get stuck repeating what’s always been done, or you will eliminate the possibility for growth and undoubtedly miss out on some great candidates.  

4. High-control people are unwilling to hand off responsibilities  

This is a tough one. As Marshall Goldsmith writes of succession in the business world, “It’s easy to fall in love with the baton of leadership. Whenever this happens, it is almost impossible to let go.” The very gifts that enable a leader to lead often make it difficult to gracefully depart. Leaders must address their egos before and during a succession-planning process to ensure a successful handoff. Make talking about succession a regular occurrence so that years from now, it won’t come as a surprise. And when the time does come, make sure to have a clean exit strategy so leadership lines don’t get crossed. 

5. You haven’t had the hard conversations often enough. Or at all.  

Like we said above, talking about succession planning regularly helps normalize it and prepare everyone for the transition. Start by including it in your annual meeting. There must also be clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities in a succession plan, and all stakeholders need to understand who is ultimately in charge of what. Another necessary conversation is about the qualities and values you want in a leader. Think about your must-haves and your must-not-haves so that these things become baked in your organization’s culture. Talking about this over time shows which attributes and values are consistently important over the years and what might be negotiable. Planning ahead in this area is huge. It can be tough to know exactly what you want when the time comes, so it is important to start preparing now.

6. You’re not being as transparent as possible 

The higher the public visibility of an organization, the more likely the media is to report on its every misstep. Poor public communication confuses members and can be exacerbated by board members, volunteers, staff, or congregants. The more people know, the less they will guess. Don’t derail your succession plan by acting as if the information were highly classified. Share what you can, when you can.

7. You’re forgetting the outgoing leader’s spouse 

Yes, really. In the case of churches especially, we have not found a succession that went well when the relationship with the outgoing spouse was contentious. In a church or nonprofit, the leader’s spouse is often heavily involved and may even have a role on staff. Effective successions of faith-based organizations consider the spouse as a part of the process, realizing that he or she has influence and might also be navigating an identity-shift that accompanies the succession.

8. You aren’t writing anything down

Face it. You get nervous when the waiter doesn’t write down the order of your party of 12. So why gamble with anything as important as succession planning? While contracts are often viewed as needed only in adversarial situations, we believe smart organizations write down agreements about provisions for retirement, intended dates for transition, and other stated intentions about the process. This provides clarity and alignment between the leadership team and board so there is no confusion about what was or was not said.

Vanderbloemen can help

A DIY succession plan can be successful, but if you’re seeing way too many red flags for comfort as you journey down this path, we’re here to help. Contact us at any point in your succession planning process to learn about our customized succession solutions.