Succession Planning for Nonprofits

Demographic shifts are affecting society and its institutions in powerful ways. As America's population ages, we will see unprecedented transfers of authority and responsibility from the Traditionalist and Baby Boomer generations to Generation X and the Millennial Generation. The impact to nonprofit organizations and the boards that govern them will be especially profound. 

Consider this:

• Almost 60% of nonprofits Executive Directors are over 50
• Only 17% of nonprofits have documented succession plans for their Executive Directors

There are certain steps that nonprofit boards must take, as part of their governance duties, to establish executive succession plans. Without these plans, the financial and organizational sustainability of the nonprofit is at risk. 

In my consulting work over the past 12 years I have frequently been asked to guide nonprofits through the necessary steps to establish executive succession plans. I have simplified the process so that most Boards complete the plan within 1-2 months using my expertise as a guide. 

If you are interested in learning more about this approach, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at ahr@interchange-group.com.

For more information and resources on succession planning, onboarding and the multigenerational workforce, log onto www.interchange-group.com.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

The Top 5 Human Capital Investments for 2014

The Department of Labor reports that the U.S. labor force declined in 2013 by almost 550,000 workers, 76% of which belong to the Baby Boomer generation. 

2014 will be the year when demographics tip the scales and the supply of high-performing talent will begin to steadily decrease. Companies who cannot attract and engage Millennial and Generation X workers will suffer losses. Talent acquisition and management will become CEO level initiatives and significant investments will be made to five key categories:

• Attracting & onboarding top talent at all levels
• Engaging & managing Millennial workers
• Revolutionizing performance management & career development practices
• Building 21st century leaders
• Planning for the succession of executive & mission critical roles

In the coming years, organizations will rise and fall accordingly to how well they execute on these core initiatives. 2014 marks a sea change in human capital management. Are you prepared?

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Year End Strategic Planning - A Meditation

A good practice for executives is to stop long enough to look back on the year and determine what you intended, what changed, and where you arrived. 

I like to meet with my clients during fourth quarter budget planning to do this serious thinking. We sit down together to review the year that has passed and examine the state of the company. We look at what worked and what didn't work, and what we learned from each success and failure. It is a quiet time, often a reflective time. A meditation.

From this insight, we can plan forward. We reflect on the business strategy and assess the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as it relates to the most critical phases in the talent lifecycle:

• Onboarding, integrating and developing new economy workers into organizations
• Developing existing leaders to prepare them to move up, take on more responsibility, and guide the organization's growth
• Planning for the succession of key positions by defining future state roles and developing talent pipelines to succeed outgoing generations

From here we can set appropriate goals that will achieve and accelerate the results of the business strategy. We prioritize our objectives and initiatives for the upcoming year, what they will cost, whether we have the right resources, and how many steps it will take to implement these goals.

Once we have approved budgets, we then go over the goals and initiatives that we outlined in our planning. We edit those goals to align with the budget we have been given, ensuring realistic expectations. The result is that we are able to determine what we can realistically and economically achieve to drive significant change and competitive advantage over next 12 months.

Some examples of goals that my clients are setting for the upcoming year revolve around:

• Recruiting and retaining top talent in the face of increasing talent shortages
• Improving the accountability, reliability and performance of younger workers
• Increasing the ownership and commitment to corporate goals of midlevel managers
• Developing leadership competencies among high potential employees at all levels
• Executing the smooth succession plans for outgoing leadership
• Empowering communication and productivity across all generations and business units

This quiet review of the year and strategic planning for the next develops discipline and strategic oversight for the organization, and, over time, becomes knowledge. This is deep knowledge: of ourselves, of the companies we serve, of the industries in which we work, and how all of this changes (or does not) over time, year after year.

This disciplined practice is also what drives and advances thought leadership and professional development in the Human Capital field. I recommend it.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Upcoming Webinar: Succession Planning for the New Economy: Growing Your High Potential Pipeline for the Roles That Matter Most
Hosted by the Human Capital Institute
Live webinar on December 17 at 12:00pm PST
Webinar recasts on December 18 & 19

Upcoming Onboarding & Succession Planning Webinars

I am pleased to offer two webinars in December: one on effective strategies for onboarding "new economy" workers and another on growing high potential talent pipelines for effective succession planning. 

For more details or to register, click on the links below.

New Hire Onboarding: Practical Advice to Boost Performance & Retention

Hosted by Business Management Daily

Live webinar on December 11 at 10:00am PST

Succession Planning for the New Economy: Growing Your High Potential Pipeline for the Roles That Matter Most 

Hosted by the Human Capital Institute

Complimentary live webinar on December 17 at 12:00pm PST

Multiple complimentary webinar recasts on December 18 & 19

For further questions or insight on either topic, contact me directly at ahr@interchange-group.com.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Disaster & Gratitude

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am feeling grateful for the basics: health, shelter, food, water, love.  

The need for disaster relief to provide those basics this holiday season is HUGE. 

As a result, the Interchange Group is donating EARLY this year, and in lieu of holiday gifts and cards, supporting various projects of the GlobalGiving Foundation, a nonprofit online marketplace that connects donors to causes and countries directly. Receiving top ratings by Guidestar and Charity Navigator, GlobalGiving centers on transparency, allowing donors to view and monitor the impact of their financial contributions.

Here are a few of the many disaster relief efforts to which you can donate directly through GlobalGiving:

• Typhoon Haiyan Survivors' Food Security Project
• Hurricane Sandy Reconstruction
• Relief Fund for Colorado Flooding Survivors

I encourage you to choose a cause to support this holiday season that is meaningful to you.

Thank you. Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

10 Pitfalls to Avoid When Onboarding New Employees

96% of companies believe employees make their decision to stay or leave within the first six months of employment. If you are going to spend money and time acquiring top talent and paying them to work, why not prepare them to succeed and stay?

There is no one-size-fits all approach to employee onboarding. Every situation is unique and an effective onboarding program will have direct alignment to a company's long-term strategy and goals. However, the following pitfalls to avoid apply to all conditions:

1. Not having a clean and ready workstation on Day One
2. Assuming a new hire cannot be productive in his or her job from Day One
3. Cramming 20 hours of information into four dull hours of orientation
4. Neglecting the importance of cultural adaptation to the new hire's success
5. Ignoring the onboarding needs of mid- and senior level employees
6. Relying on organizational charts, rather than cultural norms and behavior, to explain lines of communication
7. Failing to address generational needs and differences in the onboarding process
8. Starting new hires when their supervisor is absent
9. Running a disorganized program
10. Adopting a "sink or swim" approach because it worked for you!

Employees who feel challenged, empowered and acknowledged during the first year of employment will reward companies with loyalty and productivity. Those who feel overlooked or marginalized will eventually leave for opportunities that better meet their needs. To what extent does your onboarding process fit the needs and expectations of your top talent?

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Tailor Your Onboarding Strategy to Each Generation

The Impact of Generational Differences on New Employee Onboarding
Effective new hire onboarding will be critical for employee retention and engagement in the future as demographic shifts significantly alter the talent landscape. America's 80 million Baby Boomers will be succeeded in their roles by a cohort (Generation X) that is half their size, intensifying the competition among employers for top talent. Compounding the situation are the Millennials, representing the youngest generation in the labor market and entering the workforce with drastically different expectations for their careers, including how their employers treat and develop them during their first year on the job. Failure to properly engage each generation up front will prove costly for organizations.

To stay competitive, companies must tailor their new employee onboarding strategies to each generation.

Onboarding Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers have always worked and played hard, often competing with their numerous peers to get ahead and display outward symbols of success. Their values center on professional identity and prestige while staying youthful and healthy. When integrating new Baby Boomers employees into the company, focus on:

• Professional Renewal – Will they have the opportunity to recalibrate their career goals and skills?
• Organizational Hierarchy – Do they understand the organizational hierarchy to effectively navigate professional relationships?
• Performance Management Process – Do they know how they will be evaluated and by whom?

Onboarding Generation Xers
Generation Xers grew up with divorced, dual-income, late-working parents. Although their work ethic is strong, they are unwilling to spend every waking minute in the office at the expense of their personal lives. Gen Xers want their employers to recognize them on the basis of merit and efficiency, not the amount of time spent in their chairs. To onboard them for long term success, emphasize:

• Access to Information – Do they know where and how access necessary information about their job and the company?
• Relevant Resources – Do they have the most pertinent resources to perform?
• Clear Priorities & Metrics – Are they clear on the performance metrics that the company and their bosses will be measuring?

Onboarding Millennials
Millennials are accustomed to and expect frequent encouragement and acknowledgement. Having grown up in a 24/7 world of global events and communication, they are motivated to solve large-scale problems and see blurred boundaries between work and the rest of their lives. To onboard this generation, provide them with:

• Community – Do they feel bonded to their peers, bosses, and subordinates as colleagues and friends?
• Corporate Culture – Are they clear on and enthusiastic about the company's culture and values?
• Professional Growth – Do they perceive their supervisors and HR partners as mentors who actively guide them in their careers?

Generational differences in values, motivations and behavior directly inform perceptions about work and the workplace. Thoughtful new employee onboarding procedures are vital to a company's bottom line, and can succeed if organizations are willing to adopt a strategic approach tailored to each generation.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy