Moving On and Moving In

Carrie Heinonen, CEO & Director, MNARebekah Lambert, VP Arts Consulting Group

Robert Breunig, President Emeritus, MNA

Topics

• For the Board: preparing for change• For the ED: first 90 days, best practices• Case study: Collaborative Transition– Incoming Director’s perspective– Departing Director’s perspective

• Robert’s Do’s and Don’t’s

• Let’s make this conversational – go ahead and throw out a question or comment.

3

The First 90 DaysGovernance Framework

Govern

Position

ThinkAct

Engage

4

• Shared commitment to Strategic Direction• Strategic plan• Staff leadership development/evaluation• Board understanding of its role• Board leadership development• Financial sustainability• Effective Board/Executive relationship• Good communication amongst stakeholders• Understanding of your organizational culture

Organizational Preparation:GOVERN

5

• Say goodbye to the departing leader• Form the Search Committee• Use/don’t use an executive search consultant firm?• Identify urgent issues (if any) and their resolution• Understand/manage organizational dynamics• Determine transitional leadership• Communicate with key stakeholders

Organizational Preparation:POSITION

6

• How the Search Committee will work–decision-making, authority

• Search Committee–understanding of an organizational SWOT

• Role of other organizational stakeholders• The particular kind of transition• Assessing organizational leadership requirements• Details of Search process, timeline, logistics

Organizational Preparation:THINK

7

• Allow time for recruitment of candidates• Maintain consistency in dealing with candidates • Be aware of appropriate legal interview questions• Stick to the agreed upon process/timeline

–but maintain flexibility as the search unfolds• Speak outwardly with one voice

–and use the Chair as spokesperson• Uphold confidentiality • Maintain strategic communication with stakeholders• Stay sensitive to organizational/staff dynamics

Organizational Preparation:ACT

8

Tips for success:• Mutually agree upon goals• Mutually define success • Know the urgent issues• Prioritize building critical relationships• Identify the key stakeholders to meet • Recognize training/professional development needs

Organizational Preparation:ENGAGE

9

The first 90 days from the new executive’s standpoint:• Know yourself (strengths, weaknesses)• Accelerate and prioritize your learning• Get to know your new supervisor and agree on what

success looks like• Secure early wins (increase income, reduce costs…)• Build your team, and accept offers of help• Focus on positive momentum, and don’t speak ill of

your predecessor• Keep your balance

The First 90 Days ENGAGE

10

• Opportunity for Collaborative Transition:

Requires: • An ability to put the institution first• A shared vision for the future (but not

necessarily the path forward)

But, offers great advantages is you can swing it…

The First 270 Days at MNA(luxurious transitional period facilitated by the board)

Collaborative Transition

12

Tips for success:

• Mutually agree upon goals• Mutually define success• Know the urgent issues• Prioritize building critical relationships• Identify the key stakeholders to meet • Recognize training/professional development needs

Interview Process

13

• Know yourself (strengths, weaknesses)

• Collaborative Transition:Yin/Yang: the sum is greater than the two partsThere is the opportunity for mentorship

The First 270 Days at MNA

14

• Accelerate and prioritize your learning• Listening is key• Ask Staff critical questions, and demonstrate you

heard what they said

• Collaborative Transition:Nothing beats an endorsement from predecessorTime to understand critical issues: en rout to Hopi

The First 270 Days at MNA

15

• Get to know your new supervisor and agree on what success looks like• Actually, try to get this done during interviews

• Collaborative Transition:Get to know the in’s & out’s of personalities without all the trial & error

The First 270 Days at MNA

16

• Secure early wins (increase income, reduce costs…)

• Collaborative Transition:There’s room at the White House for two!

The First 270 Days at MNA

17

• Build your team, and accept offers of help

• Collaborative Transition:Leverage knowledge of the communityPut them to work

The First 270 Days at MNA

18

• Focus on positive momentum, and don’t speak ill of your predecessor

• Collaborative Transition:• If warranted, never stop celebrating (everyone)• Get an endorsement—build from a strong base• Be generous—seek to understand context and

rationale for past foibles (So, Robert…)

The First 270 Days at MNA

19

• Keep your balance

• Collaborative Transition:Did anything drive predecessor out of balance?

The First 270 Days at MNA

Robert’s Do’s & Do Not’s

What’s your Wisdom?