Organizational Sustainability & Leadership Succession

Don Tebbe, ExitsFromTheTop.com(240) 813-4681

Organizational Sustainability

How  would  you  define  sustainability?

Strong  business  fundamentals

in  place  that  enable  the  organization

to  be  a  high-­value  asset  over  the  long  term.

Organizational Sustainability

Strategy

Business  Model

Executive  Team

Board  Leadership

Resources

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Culture

Succession Planning

Three Types of Succession Plans

Backup  plans

Departure-­defined  plans  (exit  plans)Leader  development  plans  (talent  management)

Barriers to Succession Planning

What  barriers  have  you  heard?

I’ll  be  a  lame  duck.I  don’t  know  what  the  board  will  do.I  don’t  know  what  I  would  do  next.

I’ll  think  about  it  tomorrow.It’s  too  complicated.

Who  has  the  time?

Every job, every careerends in a transition – eventually.

Every job, every careerends in a transition – eventually.

It’s just a matter ofwhen, how and how well managed.

It’s just a matter ofwhen, how and how well managed.

Start EarlyStart Early

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The Succession Timeline10

Departing Executive’s Three Jobs11

Six Things aDeparting Executive Can Do

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Take  charge  of  your  exitSet  a  firm  date

Prepare  the  organizationPrepare  yourself

Manage  the  communications  &  emotionsHelp  your  successor  succeed

Preparing Potential Successors

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Drive & Direction

Control & Systems

Clients, Programs& Standards

Commitments & Follow-­Through

TechnicalServices, Quality & Productivity

• Understand the Services/Delivery Systems

• Promote Best Practices/Standards

• Ensure Productivity• Nourish Research/Development

EntrepreneurialClients, Vision, Strategy & Direction

• Know the Customer/Client• Envision the Future• Set the Direction• Develop the Strategy

Leadership/PoliticalPhilosophy, People & Resources

• Define the Philosophy• Cultivate Stakeholders• Enlist Supporters• Align the Team

ManagerialStructure, Methods & Controls

• Organize the Whole• Plan the Action/Follow the

Plan• Develop the

Methods/Systems• Exercise Control

© Donald Tebbe, 1998-­2015

Four Domainsof the Executive’s Role

Talent Management System

Assess Acquire

DevelopAlign

• Engaging• Setting  Goals• Managing  Performance

• Developing  Indiv.  &  Teams

• Supporting/Mentoring• Career  Planning• Planning  Succession/Transition

• Strategizing• Assessing• Appraising• Planning

• Recruiting• Selecting• Onboarding• Retaining

Organizational  Goals

Organizational  Performance

Performance

•Sustain  high  performance  over  time•Foundation  skills•Growth  and  adaptability  skills:  

1. Drive/ambition2. Interpersonal  skills3. Presence4. Ability  to  learn  and  apply  quickly5. Critical  thinking  &  synthesizing  skills6. Organizational  skills  7. Resilience

Potential•Aptitude  to  perform  at  the  next  leadership   level•Potential  categories:• Promotable:  ready  to  move  up  in  the  foreseeable   future  (definite  keepers)

• Growth:  potential   to  do  additional  work  or  manage  other  functions   at  the  same  leadership  level  (keepers)

• Well-­placed:  great  in  the  current  job  with  limited  potential   for  growth  or  promotion   (solid  citizens)

• Misfit:  work  to  improve  fit

What’s YourLeadership Competency Model?• Adapting  &  responding   to  change• Critical  thinking• Judgment  &  making  decisions• Initiating  action• Entrepreneurial  thinking• Formulating  strategies  &  concepts• Leading  &  supervising• Cultural  competency  &  commitment  to  diversity/inclusiveness• Persuading  &  influencing• Planning  &  organizing• Relating  &  networking

Leadership Development Tools

• External  &  internal  training,  of  course• Mastery  experiences:  stretch  assignments  with  planning  and  reflection• Stretch  assignments:  assignments  that  expand  skills  and  self-­‐efficacy  beliefs  • One-­‐on-­‐one  mentoring• Group  mentoring:  small  groups  paired  with  a  senior  executive  – set  own  agenda  and  goals• Coaching:  intentional  coaching  provided  by  internal  or  external  resource• Action  learning:  group  or  individual  based  project  oriented  problem-­‐solving  and  leadership  development• Group  case  study  work:  vicarious  mastery  experience

Questions/Discussion20