Transitions and turnovers are a natural part of the process is any workplace, and the nonprofit sector is no exception. It is anticipated, expected and – hopefully – planned for in such a way that the transition is smooth.

The Daring to Lead 2011 study provides their latest findings with regard to nonprofit executive transitions as compared to their last report in 2006. This was the third Daring to Lead national study. More than 3,000 executive directors participated in the study which was produced in partnership with CompassPoint and The Meyer Foundation.

It’s interesting to take a look at the 2011 results in the context of the 5 years since the previous report, years which, of course, include a new President, new government plans and policies and an ongoing recession.

There is a drop in the number of executives actively planning to leave their current posts (67% compared to 75% reported in 2006). Is anyone surprised? Respondents cited a number of recession-related reasons for the delay to leave including loss of retirement savings, a shrinking job market and reduced funding leading to organizational instability.

Departure and transition, however, remains a question of when, not if. Even with the percentage drop of those actively planning to leave, plans are still in the works for many (including those for whom such plans are on the mental back burner rather than currently active). And, those considering their own transitions still have concerns about the process and the results.

The Daring to Lead 2011 study reflects only one-third of the executive respondents reported confidence in the right successor being hired by their boards. Also among the respondents, almost half (45%) said they had not had a performance evaluation in the last year, and among those who did have one, 53% said it was only a little useful, and 15% reported theirs to not be useful at all. I know we can all do the math, but it drives it home to see in writing that two-thirds of the respondents are getting little to nothing out of what should be a major communication and proactive, evaluation tool.

Whether in the context of transition or not, it is concerning that such a gap seems to exist between an executive’s role and the real or perceived understanding of it by its own board. Bridging that gap could make the difference not only during the times of transition but also during the time that the executive is in place and in need of support.

The complete report can be downloaded at www.daringtolead.org .

Nancy Stoker is a Senior Client Services Representative and Research Associate with ExecSearches.com. She can be reached at nancys@execsearches.com.

ExecSearches.com is a job board for nonprofit job seekers interested in fundraising, management and executive nonprofit jobs.

Last updated on March 6th, 2012 at 08:58 pm