Hiring the right person and achieving a good fit between the individual and the institution, the position and the work environment is not enough to ensure a successful search process. Once a qualified, excellent candidate is selected, organizations—to be successful—must spend time managing the transition processes of both the current leader and the newly-selected leader.

For current leaders, it is important that they not act—or be perceived—as a lame-duck, just filling in their time until their term is up. Rather, to really serve the organization, they need to act as leaders in transition, recognizing the many significant roles they have to play as they complete their time of service. Specifically, there are four tasks that current leaders need to tackle:

1. Help their successor get off to the best start by sharing information and perspectives, and responding to questions.
2. Put their own relationships in order. Effect appropriate closure with staff, Boards and donors, and give consideration to any people in those groups from whom they are alienated. Reconcile with those people or, if that can’t happen, recognize that now is not the time for reconciliation and let it go.
3. Finish the work that only they can do and make decisions about delegating other tasks to staff or to their successor.
4. Say thank you and goodbye. Leaders serve well when they say thanks, affirm the people and organization they have served, and say goodbye. This is important for themselves and also for those they leave behind—we have to say goodbye to what has been before we are free to move on to what will be.

Newly-selected leaders also have four responsibilities in this transition time:

1. Take time to learn from their predecessor as well as other leaders and governing bodies in the organization.
2. Prepare their own transition plan. Identify ways they want to enter into their new position.
3. Commit themselves to listen and learn for much of the first year in the position. Honor what has been and respect the ways the organization has functioned. This “listening time” may need to be adjusted, however, if the organization is experiencing significant crisis.
4. Plan to implement changes in ways that serve the organization’s needs and that respect those committed to the organization.

Too often, organizations stop their work in the search process with the hiring of a candidate, which can short-change the success of the process. This is why the last two steps of The Reid Group’s search process focus on transition and orientation in order to ensure a successful outcome for everyone involved.

What challenges does your organization face in finding qualified, excellent candidates for leadership positions?  What has been your experience with the transition process with new leadership?  We’d love to hear from you!

John Reid
The Reid Group
jreid@TheReidGroup.biz