Skip to main content

The 5 Essentials of Succession Planning.


The 5 essentials of succession planning.

The success or failure of a change process in regards to succession in a church is based around 5 essential points.

1) Have a clear plan.
Make sure that as the years go by, that the leadership are aware that at a certain time in the future, you as the senior leader will step aside. In my mind this should be written down and agreed by all the leadership. It is also important that a successor is identified, it's not a good idea one year out from stepping aside that advertisements are placed for prospective candidates. The person ready to take over from you needs to learn the ebb and flow of your church's life. If they are already in the church do they carry your DNA but at the same time have the strength of personality to imprint their own ideas and vision. Is there sufficient time to immerse that person in leadership and leadership training? You don't become the CEO of a company without having climbed the ladder of corporate leadership. Have a plan, write it down, stick to it.

2)Don't make changes too quickly.
Congregations don't mind change as long as they are justifiable, communicated well and planned. However when it comes to a senior leadership change it is vital , not to rush it. A rushed leadership change could result in an exodus of people from the church. People need to hear a shepherds voice, feel their heart and identify with their vision. This takes time don't rush the changeover.

3) Ensure there are no hidden landmines.
Everybody, wants the succession plan to work and for there to be a smooth transition through the whole change process. However, sometimes there are hidden secrets, in the lives of either the senior leader or the successor, if, by any chance, these secrets see the light of day, they could destroy reputations, lives and congregations. Candid conversations between all parties, leadership team, senior leader and successor, are needed. The last thing anyone wants is to step on an IED.

4) Let go.
The hardest thing for any senior leader to do is let go of the entity, that they have put heart and soul, blood , sweat and tears into, but let go they must. If the senior leader is going to stay around the church, as a father of the house, then here are a number of things that they can do, to reduce any temptation to get involved. Go on a six month sabbatical, a long holiday combined with some itinerant preaching. Play lots of golf or some other sport. Plan a year in advance, get on the phone and organise a year of preaching dates at other churches. Or better still just leave the church and enjoy retirement.

5) Do not be tempted to pry.
If the senior leader is going to stay in the church, do not be tempted to pry. Do not have an opinion on how things should be done, When others come to talk to you direct them to the leadership team. The vision is no longer yours you have handed over to someone else. If the plan has been done right, then there will be nothing to worry about.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The myth of Ministry Leadership.

The myth that all leaders are leaders. Not everyone who leads in church is a leader. I think it is wrong, for Church leaders to believe that those they train up to take various ministry leadership positions, are in fact leaders in their own right. They are not. At best I would categorise these people- that many churches call 'ministry leaders' as ministry managers.                 "At one level there is nothing wrong with title inflation; it is a cheap way of recognising people who work hard and make serious contributions" Jo Owen. I am of the opinion that this title inflation undervalues both the leader and the ' ministry manager' and can often bring about confusion and mismatched expectations. Many churches have ministry training evenings for their volunteers. Many use the reason for this training is "to make a person a better leader," when in fact the only thing actually happening is that th...
Post a Comment
Read more

The 1970's Christian Coffee Shop

I remember as a new Christian being invited into a Christian Coffee shop in the town where I grew up. It was clean and tidy, the table tops were all brightly painted in different colours,  but mainly yellow and scattered on top were a random selection of Christian tracts. Fish symbols and Christian posters proclaiming that there was but 'One Way' to heaven were everywhere. The music playing out of the stereo was The Bill Gather Trio or Dolly Parton singing Gospel. The crockery, was a mixed assortment of coffee mugs, donated by keen supporters of this outreach to the unsaved sinners and ungodly people living in the city. The coffee was a local brand heavily mixed with chicory. In all the years the Coffee Shop operated, I never saw a non-Christian go in and I never heard of a person coming to faith through having coffee there. I never really understood its purpose. Fast forward to today, when I was asked recently, to advise on helping a local community church open a c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Playing well with others.

Today's rambling. Looking over some of my old school reports the other day and was amused at how some of the comments, that teachers made about me have shaped my life and in many respects made me who I am today. One teacher wrote that I didn’t play well with others, I was 5 at the time maybe I had an excuse. Another teacher in my high school years, the wood working teacher or wood shop teacher for my American friends wrote; “If you value your life you will keep him away from power tools and other dangerous equipment. I can’t remember why he wrote this, obviously I did something that made him fear for his life. Today as an adult I have to say that I don’t do well in committees, for most of my life I have been self- employed. I have steadfastly stayed away from power tools and other wood working equipment, basically anything that can cut something off and is a danger to life and limb. Over the last 10 years I have been looking at and teaching about Emotional Intelligence ...
Post a Comment
Read more