When the President Resigns… The Non-profit Chairman’s Checklist Whether the call comes from the president or one must be made to the president, it’s a dreaded situation when the president resigns.  The question becomes: what needs to be done and in what order so that the institution stays robust, on course, morale stays high, and the right successor is found and installed? Having been involved in 35 non-profit and educational CEO searches over the past eight years, and over 45 search committee searches, all having been successful, let us share some insights.  Feel free to contact us for some pro bono advice if additional questions arise.   The Announcement First determine what should be said without damage to the person or the institution.  Secondly depending on the constituency involved, the announcement may be handled in differing ways. Learn more   Is Interim Leadership Needed? If the president will be leaving before a search can be done, temporary leadership should be in place.  Perhaps two or three direct reports will act as a temporary “Office of the President” with frequent consultation with the Chairman of the Board.  Maybe the Chairman, other Board Member, or a previous president, or a professional interim president might be selected.  When selecting an interim president several characteristics should be evident…        Learn more   Choosing a Search Committee Chairman and Committee Members Having worked successfully with over thirty-five search committees let us share some insights.  Some of these suggestions are crucial for search committee success. Selecting the Chairman The Board of Directors has the fiduciary responsibility for providing the overall strategic leadership of the organization with one of its specific duties being the selection of the CEO.  Learn more   What is needed in the Next Leader? The Board is responsible for determining the future direction of the organization.  Therefore, it would be inappropriate to seek a president who would bring a vision different than that of the Board’s.  Rather the Board should project, “This is who we are and generally where we are going…now we need someone who can take us there.” The Board should do a strategic analysis of where they are and where they want to go: Learn more   Should Outside Assistance Be Used? Conducting a well done presidential search needs expertise, time, manpower and experience.  If the Search Committee does not have these abilities within itself then using an executive search consultant may be wise.                        Learn more   How to Select a Search Firm In determining which executive search consultant is most appropriate, find several who seem right for your need.    In fairness to the consultants invite them to come make an hour long presentation to the committee with the institution paying their travel expenses if they’re not selected.  Follow this link for a guide on how to choose between search firms.             How to Select a Search Firm   The Handling of Internal Candidates Often there are people within the organization who feel they should get the job or at least be considered.  If the search committee handles them respectfully, their loyalty to the organization can be maintained, but if not then that loyalty may be needlessly lost and they may even leave the organization.      Learn more   The Search and Selection Process There is more to this than one might think.  The elements include: Learn more   Fashioning and Negotiating a Compensation Package Any well run organization will have a compensation range for a position and hopefully the person enters at or below the mid-point of that range so there is room for increases later.  However, when hiring a CEO…        Learn more   Making the Job Offer and Getting Acceptance Once the offer is made and depending on the person’s current situation, the question perhaps should be asked of the candidate, “How do you think your current employer is going to react?  How would you respond to a counter offer?”  Learn more   Setting Performance Expectations and Performance Review Periods As part of the candidate’s accepting the position, the Board’s Executive Committee should have addressed performance expectations and periodic reviews with the candidate.  No wise candidate will accept a position without knowing what will be expected of him or her, the metrics involved and the process for performance reviews.   Integrating the New President and Family The new president and family will transition and integrate into the new community easier with the Board’s assistance.  Perhaps another spouse with a similar family situation can “befriend” the candidate’s spouse and help make introductions to doctors, school or friends.            Learn more

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