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Our Services for Nonprofits, their Leaders, and Boards

The transition between executive directors—from incumbent to new—is a pivotal juncture in the life of an organization. The director’s impact on strategy, programs and operations—the very future of the organization—can't be overstated. These transitions can be a time of both great opportunity and significant challenge. Planning for future leadership succession and managing the process of changing executives is a leading responsibility of all boards and the primary focus of our work.

Our services for nonprofits, their leaders and boards include:

1. Executive Transition Planning and Management--If you are currently facing a leadership transition or expect to in the next few months, this is where we start. These services are designed to ensure (1) that there is leadership/management stability during the transition period, (2) that next executive has the skills and competencies to build on your past while moving the organization into the future to which you aspire, and (3) that Board and new executive have clear leadership agenda and social contract for how they will work together. Please click on the title below for more details.
   • Transition Assessment and Planning
   • Comprehensive Transition Management and Search
   • Transition Management Coaching
   • New Executive Coaching and Peer Support
   • Interim Executive Referral/Placement

2. Leadership Succession Planning--An emergency succession plan for key leadership positions, particularly the executive director, can reduce the risk of an unexpected and traumatic transition.  We can show you how to make leadership succession a part of your strategic planning process and help you capture the power of this proactive approach to ongoing leadership development and capacity building. Please click on the title below for more details.

   • Leadership Succession Coaching
   • Leadership Succession Planning

3. Other Capacity Building Services--TransitionGuides offers the related assessment, planning and support services.  For more information, click here.

About our pricing.  We typically work on an hourly basis rather than basing our rates on a percentage of salary.  We find that this gives us more flexibility to meet your specific needs and usually results in substantial savings to the organization.  To explore how we can help you, please call (301) 439-6635.

Service Menu

Transition Assessment and Planning--This provides you with a quick snapshot of the key issues that you face in hiring a new executive. Includes timetable and process outline that serves as your transition roadmap. The assessment ensures that you get off to the right start, and the plan reduces everyone’s anxiety and increases confidence among your board, staff, and funders.

Comprehensive Transition and Search--This service provides both expert consultation and hands-on assistance for the complete transition process from announcement of departure through the six-month evaluation of the new executive. It combines the best of executive search practice with an intentional focus on sustaining and expanding organizational capacity. We manage the entire process and guide you through a three-phase process that helps you prepare for the search, recruit and make a selection, and build a thriving relationship with your new executive.

The products include a written profile and search plan summarizing organization history, priorities, competencies and attributes required of next executive, a capacity building plan, compensation review, and candidate marketing strategy; interviewing coaching and draft questions; reference check report on the finalists; a diverse finalist pool; a draft employment agreement; initial work plan for new executive with board/executive role clarity; and process for 90 day and six month review.

The result is a number of benefits: The board isn’t exhausted from the extraordinary work of search; the odds of hiring an appropriate executive the first time are significantly increased; the likelihood of staff loss, board disengagement, funder withdrawal, or an organizational downturn are greatly reduced.

Transition Management Coaching--This service allows boards and organizations to tailor a package of services that are most needed, and lower their costs by selectively doing more of the hands-on work. Transition coaching services can include an organizational assessment, development of the job profile and competencies, compensation review, recruitment coaching and interview planning, finalist review and/or interviewing, reference checking, executive orientation and coaching, and/or board-executive social contracting and evaluation planning.

Interim Executive Referral/Placement--Depending on your internal capacity and the issues your organization faces, a trained, experienced interim director may be needed. TransitionGuides can assist in your review and selection among interim candidates you already know, or refer and place an experienced interim. We can also help you develop a scope of work that clarifies how the interim will contribute to organizational success.

New Executive Coaching and Peer Support--Transition Guides offers coaching for new executives just starting their job. This service provides a sounding board and guide who has direct experience with the executive director role as well as the challenges and opportunities,  both professional and personal. We also strive to connect executives with peers facing similar situations, where possible. The executive is better able to focus on appropriate organizational work because of the added focus and clarity coaching provides.

Leadership Succession Coaching--This is often an awkward topic and needs to be approached so as to not be threatening to current leaders or the executive. We offer private consultation with a board leader or executive considering engaging in the process and targeted coaching during the process that considers timing and process issues to get best outcomes for individuals and organizations.

Leadership Succession Planning--This is a more extensive service during which our consultant works with the executive, board, and staff to develop an emergency succession plan that includes identification of key management and leadership functions, key relationships vital to the organization, and a plan for broadening the base of leaders to carry out the key management and leadership functions, and to connect with vital stakeholders.

Other Capacity Building Services--TransitionGuides offers the related capacity building services in tandem with our Leadership Succession and Transition work, and independently as needed.  These service include:

• Strategic Review and Strategic Planning
• Board-Executive Partnership Building
• Business Planning

TransitionGuides offers a full range of leadership succession, executive search and transition services for nonprofits. For more information call (301) 439-6635.

TransitionGuides
1751 Elton Road, Suite 204 | Silver Spring, MD 20903
Phone 301-439-6635 | Fax 301-439-6638
info@transitionguides.com

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