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A Dialogue About Leadership Transition and Succession Planning

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Maya Doe-Simkins, Greg Scott & Catherine Swanson

August 27, 2021, Southern Harm Reduction Conference

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“For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock.”

James Baldwin

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Overview

  • Provide you with some ideas and tools to get started with succession planning (SP)
  • Objectives:
    • Articulate the importance of and challenges to developing an organizational leadership succession plan
    • Compare broad succession planning needs assessment results with your own organization or situation
    • Adapt at least one short term and one long term organizational succession planning activity

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Who we are

  • Maya Doe-Simkins, MPH, is a public health practitioner, educator, and researcher. She has worked in harm reduction for 18 years.
  • Greg Scott, PhD, is a visual sociologist at DePaul University in Chicago. He has worked in harm reduction for 20 years.
  • Catherine Swanson, MPH, is a former sex worker, outreach worker and executive director who now works as an educator, consultant and coach. She has worked in harm reduction for 25 years.

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Photo Credits to

Nigel Brunsdon

www.injectingadvice.com

www.nigelbrunsdon.com

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Project Background and Overview

  • What is “succession planning”?
    • Laying the foundation by incorporating plans for transitions in leadership into organizational culture
    • Concrete tasks and practical activities in advance of transition
  • SSPs & harm reduction orgs struggle to prioritize SP
  • Some transitions are smooth and seamless, but most transitions and changes include tension, uncertainty, conflict and hurdles

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Thanks to AIDS United & Comer Family Foundation

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Project Overview

  • Leadership Needs Assessment Focus Groups (14 participants)
  • Funder Focus Group (7 participants)
  • Staff Survey (90 participants)
  • In-Depth Leader Interviews (17 participants)
  • Write Up/Website Development
  • Roll-Out

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Leadership Focus Group Themes

  • Leaders have already been putting some succession planning into play
  • Concerns about philosophical fidelity/mission drift and similarly dedicated or skilled mentees
  • Limited time and support to build systems resulting in minimal succession planning

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"Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole." Maya Angelou

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Action Items: Preparing to Prepare

  • Make conscious choices around culture and org design.
  • Learn harm reduction leadership “best practices” and practice them
  • Look at organizational power objectively and be transparent about decision making.
  • Delegate
  • Identify and Mentor Emerging Leaders
  • Cross train and “proceduralize”.

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Action Items: Short Term

  • Talk with BOD/ primary decision-making body
  • Ask ED/leadership about succession planning (if that’s not your current position)
  • Collect login & password info in one place and make sure that at least one other person has access
  • Save important personnel & organizational documents in one place and make sure that at least one other person has access
  • Share checklist draft

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Action Items: Long Term

  • Mentor your board(s) to better support leadership around transition.
  • Conceptualize plans for 3 different transition scenarios: short term/temporary, planned permanent, unplanned permanent
  • Include succession planning in strategic planning
  • Talk about leadership transition as a normal situation that organizations should expect to happen, thus planning for it is part of an organizational sustainability process
  • Document other important aspects of the organization such as relationships, vendors, contract/grant information and so on.

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Tools: Check lists & Templates

  • Checklist of Necessary Information for Unplanned Transitions
  • PowerPoint for Boards on Succession Planning
  • Spreadsheet for Vendor/Account Information
  • Steps Lists for Planned Transitions
  • Sample Announcement Language
  • Adjustable Communication Scripts

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Keep in Touch!

  • Reach out to us at:
    • mdoesimkins@gmail.com
    • greg_scott@me.com
    • Catherine@balancedimperfection.org

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And look for the Ready4Change website and tools coming in September!

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“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”

Anne Lamott