Dear First name / community member,
NPN has always been a big proponent of promoting internal to leadership roles—without a full search. Why? Because you have talented staff; because nonprofits are lousy at promoting talented staff; because the money spent on a search could be better spent on leadership support and coaching support for your team; because it provides consistency and stability in times of uncertainty. So many reasons!
But, we get a lot of questions about how to do this well.
So, here’s my recommendation: When a senior leader announces their departure, plan for a 3 month, external interim person to step into that role. During that “breathing” time, see what is needed in this role for the success of the organization and determine whether there are internal candidates that could serve in this role. Then, conduct a measured, focused intake conversation with the leadership team about their needs and the opportunities for promotions. These intakes are best done by an external partner and individual comments are anonymous.
Based on the staff feedback, the interim’s feedback, give serious consideration to what a promotion for an individual will look like and the supports needed. Then meet with the person and determine their interest.
Please note, I did not start the process with asking who wants the role, I started with an external interim giving space in the organization for change to happen. Within that space, are their leaders that naturally step forward or are viewed by staff as the person they go to for guidance and support. Then, determine their interest.
There’s a couple of reasons for this process—even if the internal candidate says no.
- You allow the organization to move forward in their growth without the existing person in place. Let the organization breathe.
- You respect the knowledge and abilities of internal staff and the efforts they go through every day to meet the mission of the organization.
- You have the opportunity to learn from staff who is acting as a leader already—not by title/authority, but by engagement, trust and support.
- If you have no internal candidate, then it is a clear and easy path forward to an external search.
Why would NPN promote internal promotions over a search? Our focus is on the success of the organization and the individuals that help it thrive. We can support you with interim staff, we can conduct the intakes with internal staff, we provide support to re-write job descriptions, provide a cohort for the promoted staff person to grow in their skills, and are happy to meet with boards and leadership to help develop a new working relationship.
We are seeing a variety of organizations opting for internal promotions to interim while a decision is made. We don’t support this, in most circumstances. Why? Because the individual asked to step into this role is often a member of the senior leadership team who has not back-filled their current role. Therefore, during this interim time-period, they are doing two leadership jobs. Internal interims do not give an organization breathing room—they do not “open the windows, shake out the carpets, and spring clean.” They do keep the organization moving forward and they are often exhausted.
If a senior leader is leaving and you are unsure if you should promote within or do an external search,
contact us. We can walk through the options, talk with you and the hiring team and look at how either decision can help you in your work. Then we can support you in making a strong decision for your organization.
