Does your association have a continuity plan? If something happens to one of your staff members, will business continue uninterrupted? Are staff members cross-trained? Would bank accounts be accessible? Are passwords recorded somewhere? Who would be in charge if your executive director was no longer able to continue to lead? These are questions that should be asked—and answered—before there’s a need.
And what about succession planning? There’s a generation of CEOs retiring and host of professionals ready to step into the role. This, too, requires careful planning. Gary LaBranche has written a great resource. The Association CEO Succession Toolkit assists CEOS and board members in developing and maintaining a transition and continuity plan.
I’ve worked with associations who have five-year succession plans and some who have none. In this podcast episode, I talk to Bill Zepp, who transitioned between several associations during his career, to get his take on helping new CEOs succeed. Though many boards use a longer transition period as a way to acknowledge and thank a departing CEO, both Bill and I recommend a short transition period. That way there’s no lame ducks, no awkwardness for staff, and the new leader is able to hit the ground running without waiting for the former CEO to leave.
Continuity plans don’t have to be formal to be successful. And they don’t just apply to the executive director. Every position on staff should have a plan in place. How would your work get done if you were to become incapacitated? It’s worth planning for before there’s a need. (And if there ever is one, hopefully it will be because you won the lottery, bought your own island and retired early!)