Uncertainty is draining on an organization, never more so than when the uncertainty is around the chief executive. A leader’s abrupt departure can throw a wrench in an association’s best-laid plans, but most organizations are ill-prepared for it: According to one study, less than half of nonprofits have a written succession plan.
It may be that associations are loath to draw up such a plan because it requires squarely facing uncertainty, but it can also be due to a lack of understanding about what such a plan might involve. A. Michael Gellman, CPA, CGMA, head of Fiscal Strategies 4 Nonprofits, says the planning for a CEO’s sudden departure should be just as urgent as the plan around a serious IT outage or social-media crisis.
"Just like having operating reserves, it's good to have a set of procedures in place for A, B, C or D if the chief staff position turns over quickly," he said.
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