Managing change in NGOs

1( of the maMor reasons many not-for-profit organisations fail and eventually die a natural death is due to failure to manage change well. The greatest asset of any organisation is the human resource the functionaries of the outfit who give practical expression to its vision, mission and obMectives. In the life of an organisation, there comes a time when for one reason or the other, there must be a change in the staffing of the organisation. Sometimes this change has to take place at the very top, with an executive director or national director, who may have served the organisation over a long period of time. Losing a person like that comes with a lot of changes. Work culture is affected, either negatively or positively, depending on how the change is managed. &hanges in leadership of an organisation are a certainty at some point.

To be managed well, they must be anticipated and well planned for. This is done through succession planning. In today’s article, we share thoughts and insights of Siphiwe 1kambule-9ilakati, the )ounder and Executive Director (ED) of Super %uddies &lub, on how best to go about succession planning in an organisation. We had the honor of hosting a roundtable discussion with some organisations on April

, , where Siphiwe share her experiences from a succession planning course she attended at Wits 8niversity in South Africa. Her views speak primarily to EDs who may or may not also double as founders of the organisation.

Succession planning is identifying, training and transferring the leadership/management of an organisation to another person or team of people in the event the ED leaves an organisation. Exit planning, on the other hand, she clarifies, is identifying and executing the transfer strategy of the leadership roles to another person, team, or entity. This is informed by three broad principles: The EDs desire to see the organisation grow after his/her departure the desire to see the organisation delivering quality services to communities even after his/her departure through quality and stable leadership.

DIRECTOR

There are a number of questions that a %oard needs to ask itself as it prepares for the departure of an ED, in order to assist it manage the change well. These include the following

When will the right time be for the

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ED to exit the organisation?

Will he/she completely exit or

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partially and remain in the structures of the organisation i.e. as a%oard member or advisor?

Will the candidate be recruited

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internally or externally? What qualifications and leadership qualities should the candidate possess?

How long is the ED willing to

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stay to groom a coach the successor

What position will the candidate

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hold before taking over?

Is policy review required in order to make such a change?

What capacity gaps does your or

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ganisation need to fill for a successful transition?

How will the exit of the Director

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affect the organisation’s funding?

Is there a sustainability plan in

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place to ensure the organisation continues to deliver to its mandate.

Siphiwe posits that an ED of a not-for-profit should ideally start preparing a succession and exit plan at two years before his/her departure and this important so that the organisation continues to thrive even after they have left the organisation. This, essentially, is a good quality of a true leader. 0ahatma *andhi once said, ³A sign of a good leader is not in how many followers you have but in the number of leaders you create.’’ A good ED, therefore, must be deliberate in his/succession plan so that there is no vacuum or drop in standards when he/she has left. In instances where the ED is also the founder, letting go may not be very easy and they may want to keep taking up responsibilities even when it’s time to let go. This is known as founder’s syndrome. In this case, the transition period will be longer. It may be useful to discuss the transition plan with the board so that it is properly though out and managed.

SUITABLE

Once a suitable candidate to fill the position has been earmarked or identified, he/she must understudy the outgoing director and be given a position which makes him/her second in command to the former. Once the new ED is in place, it may be helpful to stay engaged as a consultant with a defined set of expectations based on your interest and capability. This may help maintain donor relationships until they are used to the new E.D..

Throughout the transition process, it is very important to ensure that the staff is kept in the loop and involved. A leadership transition is a big change for any organisation, and it affects employees’ performance and the relationships we with donors and funders. Ensuring that the staff is involved helps ensure that the staff owns the process and gives the incoming ED the support he/she needs.

The exiting ED vacates the on-site office from day one and remains available, on-site as needed, to facilitate the transition on official documents, orientation to office logistics, Introductions to stakeholders, etc. Existing ED may stay on a retainer to be consulted as needed by the new ED in an advisory capacity. Throughout the transition process, the organisation must have one leader. The incoming ED should not be overshadowed by the presence of the outgoing ED. The outgoing EDshould make sure he/she leaves the organisation in stable and financially sustainable state before exiting the organisation.

PROCESS

The transition process should therefore include the development of a resource mobilisation strategy that will guide the %oard and the incoming ED. The strategy should outline how the organi]ation will generate income through donor funding and outside donor funding for sustainability.

Once the outgoing ED has left the office officially, he/she has to guard against some temptations.

It may be natural to want to compare the successor to himself/herself and expect that the incumbent must do things as he/she did.

This temptation must be resisted because it may lead to interference.

The new ED should be allowed to gradually establish himself/herself in the organisation and use their style of leadership which could be markedly different from his or hers.

The new ED must be given space to steer the organisation in a manner he/she sees fit. The outgoing EDmust have planned well for his/her departure and have activities that will keep him/her busy.

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