Having a staff transition plan is like having a safety net for your organization! Planning for smooth staff transitions, expected and unexpected, is an essential part of keeping your organization sustainable long-term.

For smaller nonprofits, where every member plays a crucial role in fulfilling the organization’s mission, the impact of staff transitions can be even more pronounced. Without a well-thought-out plan in place, the ripple effects can disrupt workflow, derail projects, and hinder progress towards achieving organizational goals.

Typically, the Board of Directors (or a committee of the Board) is responsible for staff succession planning and oversight of the transition process, including the process of identifying new talent and helping previous staff leave on good terms. The Board should be engaged in establishing applicable policies, onboarding and supporting new team members, and in creating a timeline of planned leadership successions. Consider formulating and adopting a written Emergency Leadership Transition Plan to address delegation of roles and responsibilities in the event of an unexpected transition or interruption for both staff and the Board.

The Board of Tazewell Today can attest to the importance of proactive planning and being prepared for transitions in the organization.

“We were prepared to sustain operations if we weren’t able to hire an Executive Director before the resignation date. I think having all of our Board members actively involved in our committees and projects gave us confidence that we could maintain our progress and operational effectiveness if we were to encounter a period of time without an Executive Director during the recruitment process. Thankfully we did not encounter that. Having the framework in place for the Executive Director position (job description and interview resources) and a strategy prior to receiving the resignation definitely expedited the recruitment process.”

Alicia Bales, Tazewell Today Vice President

“I think a well-prepared Organization Committee is an important aspect of transition planning. We were able to form a hiring committee that conducted interviews. We had an up-to-date job description to post on recruitment websites quickly. We conducted two rounds of interviews. In the second round, the final candidates were asked to showcase their ability to prepare a presentation and speak about the Virginia Main Street program. Organizational strategies that we utilized was an easily accessed folder dedicated to the executive director position.”

Cara Spivery, Tazewell Today President

By investing time and resources into developing a written and comprehensive staff transition plan, your Main Street organization can mitigate risks, keep momentum going, and position itself for sustained success.

What’s your organization’s transition plan?

Photo Credit: Tazewell Today