ALL WALES CREDIT UNION SUPPORT PROGRAMME. Securing the Future: A Guide to Maintaining Expert Boards by Succession Planning

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1 ALL WALES CREDIT UNION SUPPORT PROGRAMME Securing the Future: A Guide to Maintaining Expert Boards by Succession Planning

2 This guide has been produced by The Social Investment Business for credit unions who are part of the All Wales Credit Union Support Programme. It sets out: 1. What Succession Planning is and why it s important to Welsh credit unions 2. The important issues to consider in drawing up good Succession Plans 3. A step by step guide to developing a Succession Plan 4. A sample Succession Plan 1. What is Succession Planning and why is it important? Succession planning was recently identified in a survey of third sector organisations as one of the top three HR issues for their immediate future. Succession Planning is about preparing organisations for likely or inevitable changes now, in order to minimise challenges later. Succession Planning is simply having a systematic process where businesses such as credit unions identify, assess and develop their volunteers and staff to make sure they are ready to assume key roles within the organisation when needed. Having a succession process in place is vital to the success of your credit union because the individuals identified in the plan will eventually be responsible for ensuring the credit union is able to tackle future challenges. These individuals must be carefully selected and then provided with the training and development that give them the skills and competencies needed for the credit union s future. A Succession Plan should guide you to identify what action needs to be taken in the event that a person acknowledged as key within your credit union is no longer available to the organisation. 1.1 What are the benefits of having a succession plan in place? It helps secure the future of the credit union and the services it provides to members, their families and their communities It allows the Board to identify key functions and structures within the credit union both now and in the future It ensures an immediate and considered response to the event of a director or key employee leaving suddenly or in a planned way 2

3 It reduces the anxiety of directors and staff It provides interim solutions to allow a planned approach 1.2 What are the risks of not doing it? Interruption to a key service or function Loss of knowledge and skills from the organisation Lack of knowledge elsewhere in the credit union Priority to replace quickly and in an unconsidered manner Anger, frustration or stress Exodus one goes we all go Disorderly closure of the credit union Leaving succession planning until the last minute is likely to mean effective transferral of management and leadership is impossible within the necessary time frame. A forced, ill-informed or panic decision could mean the credit union is transferred into reluctant or unqualified hands. 3

4 1.3 Key persons risk in credit unions The FSA, as regulators of UK credit unions, has highlighted the fact that some credit unions are often over-dependent on certain individuals and that this can cause serious problems when these individuals leave or cannot complete their normal tasks. Some credit unions do not recognise the risks to their business until too late. In its One minute guide - Key persons risk the FSA recommends that credit unions should: identify the key people within your credit union and why they are key assess the potential problems that could occur if a key person was to leave put in place a plan to reduce the risk conduct a regular review of key persons risk and take action where necessary. 1.4 Meeting the future credit unions in Wales Credit unions will generally take a long time to develop and to reach sustainability. Lots of things will change on the road to sustainability so thinking now about the next five years and what Board and staff skills you will need to deliver your services is vital. Using information provided by our SGEI contracted credit unions in Wales, we can see that the credit union movement in Wales is facing some significant challenges in terms of the age profile of Board members that will need to be addressed to ensure that standards of governance are maintained and improved in future years as credit unions approach and achieve sustainability. The September 2010 Annual Returns received from 17 credit unions shows that there is a concentration of older directors that over time will need to be replaced as their numbers diminish over the coming years. Almost 25% of those listed as directors in the annual returns were over 70 years old and 45% of all Welsh directors were over the conventional retirement age of 65. Under these circumstances the possibility of several Board members retiring from the Board over a short period of time is very real. Such a rapid turnover with a consequent loss of knowledge, contacts, skills and experience could cause a change in the culture of the Board and also make it difficult to replace Board members with individuals who have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities. 4

5 2. The issues to consider in drawing up good Succession Plans Events that cause or contribute to key people no longer being available will often be sudden and unexpected, as well as being scheduled and expected such as a planned retirement. A well thought out succession plan will help your credit union to cater for both situations. In a credit union there are many succession issues that arise from time to time, arising from the leaving or deaths of: Committee members Board members Chair person Key staff members Volunteers People such as these who occupy key positions within your credit union will at some point become unavailable for a variety of reasons. These might include: Suddenly and unexpectedly becoming unable or unwilling to continue their role Issuing a sudden expression of discontent Not being re-elected to the Board Coming to the end of a contract Accepting an approach from another organisation which will terminate or lessen their value to their credit union Moving to another position and set of responsibilities within the credit union The intended outcome of succession planning is that the quality and standard of service planning, delivery and provision should not be compromised due to the temporary or permanent unavailability of a key person in the credit union. 5

6 Credit unions could be severely disrupted if conflicts take place over who should manage or run the business, while uncertainty and lack of leadership could have a disastrous effect on core business activities and morale within the business. 2.1 Common reasons for not having a succession plan include: SENSITIVITY ISSUES; the reluctance of key individuals to let go of the reins SUCCESSOR ISSUES; the difficulty of finding an effective successor OPERATIONAL ISSUES; credit union volunteers and staff often feel far too busy dealing with dayto-day issues and consequently end up failing to attach enough importance to the part that succession plays in overall strategy. 2.2 Sensitivity Issues Succession planning is about planning for change, which can make certain people nervous and uncomfortable, with them feeling that the credit union is looking to replace them before they are ready to depart. There can be personal obstacles to Board succession where founder members often feel that once on the Board they are on it for life. Moving on or simply facing the prospect of coming to the end of their term in office can be painful. This can be mitigated by communicating that: There is no automatic right to stay Everyone should eventually move on Maintaining continuity is essential People do not always move on at the same pace as the organisation There is always a need to encourage fresh skills and new ideas Leaving is not failure and can be a positive event If someone leaves they should do so with great dignity and celebration. 6

7 2.3 Successor issues Begin by considering whether there is an obvious choice of successor to take on key roles from within the credit union. This could be someone who has worked in the organisation for some time, someone who knows the business well and who has the necessary skills to take on leadership responsibility. Identifying the right people to take part the running of your credit union can be a difficult decision. Much is at stake and you need to be absolutely certain your chosen candidate is capable and willing to take your credit union forward. If an internal appointment is not possible, you might have to opt for an external appointment and search for an individual with the skills that the organisation needs. Fundamental to this is finding someone who already has, or can develop in the time available, the necessary skills and experience. 2.4 Strategic issues A Succession Plan aims to secure the long term viability of the credit union. As such the issues it addresses should include: anticipated growth and change of the credit union s business identified requirements established in the credit union business plan key skills and competencies that need to be retained and expanded identification of additional skills and competencies that need to be developed expected staff or Board retirements and turnover personal development plans for Directors, staff and volunteers The succession plan should be completed annually as part and parcel of the business planning process. It should both feed into and reflect that plan. 7

8 3. How to develop a formal staff and Board member succession policy A formal policy will help hold the Board accountable for the creation and maintenance of the plan. 3.1 Assess the governance needs of your credit union and undertake an analysis of the future Succession planning needs to be closely linked to the business plan which will involve looking at future goals and strategies of your credit union. In reviewing your business plan s key priorities in the coming years you will need to identify the kind of Board members and staff, particularly at senior managerial level, that your credit union will need to succeed. 3.2 Compile a list of required competencies by undertaking an analysis of key roles and jobs Taking into consideration the needs of the credit union, you should create a list of the competencies that you feel should be held by your Board of directors and senior managerial staff. The list can include experience, knowledge, and skills. Examples of such competencies should include: Accounting/Auditing Experience Marketing Skills HR Skills Strategic Planning Ability 3.3 Analyze the skills of current Board members and senior staff members Using the list of competencies, perform an assessment of the current staff and Board members, rating the prevalence of each competency on the list. This is usually done as a self-assessment. As well as looking at the potential of individuals, it is also important to look at their career aspirations, preferences and constraints, to ensure that issues such as work-life balance and any other external factors are being addressed. 3.4 Develop a process to anticipate staff Board member departures Because you are often dealing with people who have many responsibilities outside of the credit union, and the membership may decide through the election process that they no longer want a particular Board member to continue serving, you should expect that there will be some uncontrollable turnover. However, a process should be developed that will help the Board manage planned retirements or resignations. 8

9 3.5 Provide opportunities for staff and Board member development through an analysis of training, learning and development needs Review the overall assessment results and find ways for staff and Board members to gain expertise in areas that showed low prevalence on the assessment. This could be accomplished through internal and external training sessions, identifying and participating in sources of accredited training or by providing opportunities for Board members and staff to attend local or national conferences covering the desired topics as determined by the assessment. The key here is to develop specific action plans or development plans for people, so that they undergo a structured development programme geared towards reaching a certain level of capability, rather than just ad-hoc activities. You will need to identify each individual s skills gap and then focus on how to fill that gap. 3.6 Build a List of Potential Board Members and encourage them to get involved in the Credit Union Having provided the necessary training, learning and development opportunities for existing staff and Board members your credit union should also start building a list of potential individuals to replace departing Board members. Some credit unions have developed roles such as Associate Director to get these individuals some experience with the Board. In these roles, individuals can attend Board meetings but do not have any voting rights. Other credit unions place these individuals on volunteer committees of the Board so that they can learn more about how the credit union operates. Consider mentoring or shadowing arrangements within your credit union or between neighbouring credit unions to give people the experience they need. There should be an appropriate balance between home-grown talent and external recruits, with the possibility of internal promotion being used to incentivise existing staff and Board members, and attracting new people who will bring new ideas, practices and experience. Ideally, you should be building up a pool of talent with more than one individual being developed for each key role so spread your net as widely as you can. 9

10 3.7 Identify individuals from the Board who will be responsible for ensuring that succession planning is embedded within your credit union s management structure The Succession Planning sub-committee should be responsible for identifying key positions and consider the levels of support that are necessary to ensure ongoing effectiveness of such a position in the event of the key person being unable to continue. The sub-committee should report to the Board annually on progress made and identify the resources required to ensure satisfactory implementation of this policy and procedure. 3.8 Develop a Formal Board Member Succession Policy To ensure that this important responsibility of the Board is being accomplished, the sub-committee should create a policy that outlines the Succession Plan process and provides for some accountability for the Board to complete the process. The succession plan should be completed annually in conjunction with the annual business planning process. A summary of the plan should be submitted to the Board or designated Board committee. 4. Sample succession plans Succession Plans should have two components: A planned succession policy that outlines the steps needed to make sure a transition is as orderly as possible, including details on how much notice the departing leader must give, if and how that person will be involved in the search for a successor, and how much overlap the outgoing and incoming leaders should have. An emergency succession plan that details which steps a credit union will take after an abrupt departure, such as the sudden death or departure of a Manager or a leading director. It outlines who will cover the vacated post in the short-term and how the key position will be filled in the shortest possible period of time. It should also identify who will lead on communicating with key partners and stakeholders and how to secure important documents. On the next few pages we provide a sample plan. 10

11 Sample succession plan Introduction XYZ Credit Union needs to identify the key knowledge and skills required to maintain effective management and leadership in the provision of credit union services to its members and potential members. The credit union needs to identify and develop individuals with the talent and abilities to undertake key roles in the future. XYZ Credit Union is committed to equal opportunities and all processes in relation to succession planning and will ensure that employees or volunteers are not discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religious belief, disability or membership of a trade union. Purpose of the Policy The purpose of the Succession Planning Policy is to: mitigate key person risk provide Directors with a process to manage succession planning and effectively fill key positions in a short period of time make the best use of internal staffing resources and talent provide appropriate development opportunities to enable staff with potential to develop their skills to enable them to apply for more senior positions identify external volunteers candidates with relevant skills to take an active part in the leadership of the credit union XYZ Credit Union believes it is important to retain a balance between retention of skills and knowledge and the need to bring in fresh ideas. Succession planning at the Board level To mitigate key person risk in relation to the Board, XYZ Credit Union will: Conduct an annual skills audit to identify gaps amongst its staff and Directors. 11

12 Overfill positions. Even when it is apparent that the key roles are occupied, directors may seek to recruit talented individuals (from the membership) so that more than one person could fill a particular role. Ensure cover for key roles by appointing a deputy chair, deputy secretary and deputy Treasurer. Share skills between the Treasurer, CEO and Office Manager to ensure financial continuity if the treasurer leaves. Ask directors to give three months notice of their intention to leave. Maintain a list of members who are interested in becoming Board members, inviting them to shadow meetings as necessary. Make being a director an attractive proposition offering training and development opportunities. Actions to ensure quick response to loss of key staff To mitigate key person risk in relation to its staff, XYZ Credit Union will: Keep recruitment packs and job descriptions up to date. Maintain a list of interested candidates CVs etc. Update media contacts and advertising opportunities. Within one week Board to agree job pack. Within four weeks complete application process. Within five weeks appoint staff. Within ten weeks - staff to start. Within thirteen weeks two week handover period. This presumes that the credit union has three months to replace staff. For those staff on two month s notice, we cannot necessarily rely on a handover period. In these circumstances existing staff will shadow the staff member about to leave so they are able to carry out the induction. 12

13 Actions to ensure quick response to loss of key Board members To mitigate key person risk in relation to the Board, XYZ Credit Union will: Conduct an annual skills audit to identify gaps amongst its staff and Directors. Overfill positions, even when it is apparent that the key roles are occupied, directors may seek to recruit talented individuals (from the membership) so that more than one person could fill a particular role. Elect a deputy chair, deputy secretary and deputy Treasurer. Ask the membership to agree payment of an honorarium to the Treasurer. Share skills between the treasurer, CEO and Office Manager to ensure financial continuity if the treasurer leaves. Ask directors to give three months notice of their intention to leave. Maintain a list of members who are interested in becoming Board members, inviting them to shadow meetings as necessary. Make being a director an attractive proposition offering training and development opportunities. Succession Planning Checklist Board Members XYZ Credit Union will ensure that Board roles and responsibilities have been documented and reviewed and that there are in place: Board member job description Chair job description Conflict of interest guidelines Board members code of conduct Board committee roles descriptions 13

14 The future skills and talent composition of the Board have been assessed in light of the credit union s future Board leadership needs, covering: Organizational expertise Community/issue knowledge Commitment to goals Interpersonal and teamwork skills 14

15 Succession Action Plan Post Short term/emergency action Long term action Chair of Board Vice Chair takes over role Board elect a new chair from their number Vice Chair No action Board elect a new Vice chair from their number Treasurer, Secretary Other Board Members deputise on a temporary basis Board elect new office holders from their number Board with special responsibilities eg Marketing, Finance, Risk, HR, Complaints Other Board Members deputise on a temporary basis Board seeks new persons from within their number or co-opts external persons with relevant expertise Board members without a specific function Publicise the availability of directorship role to key stakeholder partners e.g. housing associations Co-opt new Board members and implement an induction plan and training plan Chair of Supervisory Committee Another Supervisory Committee Member deputises on a temporary basis The Committee elects a new Chair from their number Supervisory Committee members Responsibilities reallocated New members are sought from the membership and from new volunteers and co- 15

16 opted until the next AGM Chief Executive Officer/Manager Responsibilities shared amongst Senior Management team Board arranges recruitment, selection and induction of a new CEO/Manager Board appoints one of their number to take a more active overseeing role on a temporary basis Finance Manager Responsibilities shared amongst Senior Management team Selected functions devolved to Finance Assistants CEO & Board arrange recruitment, selection and induction of a new Finance Manager Treasurer takes a more active overseeing role on a temporary basis Operations Manager Responsibilities shared amongst Senior Management team Selected functions devolved to appropriate Operations supervisors or staff Assistants CEO & Board arranges recruitment, selection and induction of a new Operations Manager 16

17 Business Development Co-ordinator Responsibilities shared amongst Senior Management team Selected functions devolved to appropriate Development Assistants CEO & Board arranges recruitment, selection and induction of a new Development Manager Board Member for Marketing takes a more active overseeing role on a temporary basis Volunteer/Training Co-ordinator Immediate and urgent work is delegated to appropriate persons Board member for HR takes a more active overseeing role on a temporary basis CEO arranges recruitment, selection and induction of a new Volunteer/Training Co-ordinator ICT Officer Use external resources CEO arranges recruitment, selection and induction of a new ICT Officer 17