Using Search as a Tool to
Improve Your Reputation, Staff Morale,
and Board Engagement

Change is scary, so it is understandable that during a leadership transition, the first emotion experienced by those who work for or care about the organization is often fear. Leadership transitions can be smooth or bumpy, but even the most thoughtful transition is rife with the insecurity of an uncertain future, making even the most loyal staff member consider refreshing his or her resume. This, in turn, can cause anxiety among the other major stakeholders including board members, funders, and partner organizations about the organization's ability to maintain stability and retain key staff during the transition. The chair of the board of trustees, the 'number two' in the organization, or often the chair of the search committee - left to operate in the void of leadership - needs to ask, "How can we help keep people excited, engaged, and energized about our future until we find our next leader?"

Over decades of leading mission driven organizations through leadership transition we at the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group have learned some best practices about using the search process to refresh staff engagement in and enthusiasm about both the day-to-day work of the organization and its future.

Is your organization prepared for an executive leadership change?
Tune in to Our Next NPAG-U Webinar on March 18 to Find Out!

Organizations attuned to the very real emotional dimensions of change can do much to limit anxiety by being thoughtful about how they share news of impending leadership change and its likely influence on staff roles and organizational direction. A comprehensive and carefully shared strategy for managing the change will help staff understand their role and build their capacity to contribute to a productive and positive leadership transition. Alternatively, poor communication around leadership change can lead to resistance and the crafting of private agendas that can weaken the search process and result in a new leader whose success is hindered by staff that felt left out and undervalued in his or her hiring.

Think You Can't Afford
Executive Search Services?
Not Sure Where to Begin?
Use Our New Tool to Craft a Search that Works with Your Budget and Capacity

The Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group was founded on the simple, yet meaningful notion that:

1. All nonprofit organizations be able to hire the brightest minds in executive search to address their talent needs.

2. We must leave our clients stronger, better, smarter, and with richer capacity that we found them.

To that end, we allow our clients to contract with us for the full suite of services of a typical high-priced retained executive search firm, or let them pick a la carte. We've just put together a new tool that will help you think through each stage of search to determine what type of help you'll need, and what kind of budget you should allow.