The Power of Good People- Succession
Planning for Chapter Success
Olga I. Otero-Brown
District Director, 9 HR Florida State Council
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“The old adage ‘people’ are your most important
asset’ is wrong. People are not your most
important asset. The right people are.”
“Good to great depends on having the right
people on the right bus at the right time.”
— Jim Collins, Good to Great
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To ensure Chapter has a consistent and diverse supply of the leaders it needs to execute its vision:
Ensuring availability of ready successors
Building bench strength for key leadership positions.
Goal of Succession Management
is…
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Three Scenarios for Succession
Planning
• Emergency Succession Planning
• Departure-Defined Succession Planning
• Strategic Leader Development
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Succession Planning Steps
Assess: Gather/Analyze Data and Prioritize
• Determine the key leaders for whom successors will be
identified
• Identify the competencies of current key leaders
– Identify experience and duties required
– Identify personality, political savvy, judgment
– Identify leadership skills
22nd Annual HR Florida Leadership Conference
Hilton Orlando - January 10, 2015
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Succession Planning Steps:
Plan: Review Talent with Focus on Key Objectives
• Vacancies
– Address current vacancy challenges
– Mitigate projected vacancy risks
• Readiness
– Accelerate development of high potential talent
– Build bench strength for key positions
– Create a development plan for each high-potential member to prepare him or her for the leadership position
– Perform development activities with each high-potential member
– Interview and select a member for the new leadership position
• Transitions
– Monitor and support new and transitioning leaders
22nd Annual HR Florida Leadership Conference
Hilton Orlando - January 10, 2015
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Succession Planning Steps:
Execute
22nd Annual HR Florida Leadership Conference
Hilton Orlando - January 10, 2015
Execute Refine and Implement Action Plans
•Development Planning
•Transitioning Talent
•Identify “derailers”
•Coaching/Mentoring/Sponsorship needs
•Strategic Talent Deployment
–Recruiting and/or Develop Talent
• Evaluate succession planning efforts and make changes to program based on evaluation for future programs
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Steps to Successful Succession
Planning
• Build Support for Succession Planning
• Create an Emergency Backup Plan
• Develop and Adopt a Succession Policy
• Prepare for Executive Transition on the Horizon
• Make Executive Transition Win-Win
• Infuse Leader Development into Board and Staff
Plans
• Plan to Follow Through
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Tips for Volunteer Succession
Planning• Allow for bottom-up input, but also identify next leaders top-down
• Ensure you understand what volunteers want to get out of volunteering
• Deliver on the deal – make it a win-win
• Align your recruitment messages to what each generation wants to hear
• Have position descriptions in place for all volunteer roles (check out the sample
position descriptions on the VLRC)
• Assign a volunteer coordinator position on your board/council to recruit
volunteers and assist in succession planning
• Develop a selection process for volunteers – have candidates submit
information regarding their interest/consider interviewing candidates
• Awareness of what’s involved – realistic
• Create an onboarding plan for new board/council members
22nd Annual HR Florida Leadership Conference
Hilton Orlando - January 10, 2015
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Succession Toolkit
Succession Planning/Development Questionnaire
Succession Planning Competencies
22nd Annual HR Florida Leadership Conference
Hilton Orlando - January 10, 2015
See more at: http://www.shrm.org/communities/volunteerresources/pages/succplg.aspx#sthash.8ykOWMoW.dpuf
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Checklist for Chapter President
• Provide a process for regularly reviewing and stretching
the board’s effectiveness.
• Ensure succession occur
• Implement process to develop key staff members
• Schedule board meetings dedicated to the succession-
planning process.
• Implement, upon board approval, and communicate the
succession plan with those targeted for development
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Checklist for Board
Member/Officers
• Secure the organization’s future by clarifying direction
and ensuring strong leadership.
• Leverage board expertise, especially during periods of
leadership transition.
• Play a lead role in working with the President to develop
and approve succession plans for various scenarios.
• Appoint a board committee to address transitional issues
in the unexpected departure of an officer.
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In Closing- Keys to Success
• Ensure chapter has the talent necessary to move faster and
better in serving chapter members and growing Chapter
• Ensure right talent, right place, right time
• Evaluate bench strength with focus on key positions
• Implement development plans
• Drive accountability
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Questions?