You’ve been through an exhaustive (and somewhat exhausting) executive search, and your new leader has accepted your offer. It’s time to celebrate or, at least, breathe a big sigh of relief! While you are certainly entitled to both, the board needs to appreciate that what happens over the next several weeks, if not months, can…
It’s not surprising that nonprofit board members are timid about starting the succession planning conversation with their chief executives. There is the fear that raising the subject might suggest to the chief executive that the board thinks it is time for him or her to leave. There is also the fear that that they may…
In corporate settings, it is taken for granted that “strategic leadership development” is central to succession planning—they are constantly working on developing a pool of leaders who will be ready to run corporate divisions, tackle transformational projects, or become the next CEO. Smooth transitions and successful operations require building leaders across the organization and not…
When I first started consulting, I was asked on a couple of occasions to lead succession planning workshops for nonprofit leaders. Attendance at these sessions was disappointingly low, and rather than blame the low turn-out on the presenter, I suggested to the organizers that, “for some leaders, talking about succession planning can feel like planning…
More often than not, nonprofit board members think about succession planning only when it has already become transition planning—the organization’s chief executive has announced that she is departing or retiring and the board is in a state of panic. Given enough lead time (18-24 months) the board has time to engage in “departure defined” succession…
The phone call is often from a board member, and it usually begins this way: “We need help with succession planning.” However, what they actually want and how they have come to define “succession planning” usually takes some work to uncover. It could be they need help in developing a predictable succession of board officers….
For more than a decade, demographers and nonprofit experts have been sounding the alarm about an enormous wave of leadership retirements poised to sweep through the nonprofit sector as baby-boomers reach retirement age. This “wave” is sure to change, and is changing, the nonprofit leadership landscape, but how it impacts the sector will depend greatly…
My New Year’s resolution in 2005 was to step-down from my job as president of our region’s United Way. After 11 years in what I still describe as “the best real job I’ve ever had,” it definitely wasn’t an easy decision. I had too much regard for the organization, the people, and my community to…
Community based nonprofits function most effectively when they build a culture of shared leadership, where the development of new leaders on both the board and staff levels is ongoing. Since long term mission impact should be the goal of every nonprofit, it’s important to explicitly acknowledge that key board and staff leaders only serve the…
Searching for a new leader and ensuring a smooth transition from one leader to the next are two different things. While some search committees end-up being called the “transition committee,” and may even find that their work extends beyond the search, we recommend nonprofit boards consider having one committee for the search and a separate…
From the start the training is geared toward the individual as well as the specific company while maintaining a broader overview of the topics. Mary was a great presenter, an excellent listener, and overall made this an enjoyable experience unlike the typical training programs.
Starboard’s team took the time to get to understand our project and the motivations behind it, offering honest feedback and clear steps we could take to bolster our future campaign.
Starboard Leadership played a key role in Maine Discovery Museum’s most recent strategic plan. Thanks to Starboard, MDM’s Executive Team and Board of Directors were able to craft a solid, inspirational, and meaningful plan – one that has been our guidepost since completion.
The training provided by Mary Budd of Starboard Leadership not only met our expectations but exceeded them. Our mission with this training was to provide our leadership staff (both new leaders and experienced leaders) with a tool to help them with building strong teams, encourage employee engagement on their individual teams and facilitate talent development.
We’re always pushing to take our organization to the next level, and Starboard has helped us reach new heights in our leadership and management, employee engagement, and talent management. My experience has been that Starboard works hard to add value in every way possible. As a result, I always hear positive feedback from employees following Starboard’s engagements with us.
Scott helped me see through the fog to focus on the most pressing issues creating tension, challenges and structuring the organization for success in a new environment. My regular connections with Scott kept me on track, focusing on moving the needle on the items that required my attention.
Scott’s style is direct, empathetic, and thought-provoking. He has provided critical knowledge, experience, and connections that have allowed us to build a stronger Board and take advantage of opportunities. Coach, cheerleader, and catalyst are three words I would use to describe his work with our organization.
The interviews that Starboard conducted with our partners and key funders proved to be an invaluable part of our strategic planning process, as was their expertise in helping to shape a plan that guides our work every day.
We hired Starboard to lead us through our first ever, professionally led strategic planning process. We were at an important juncture in our growth and direction and had to make some really big decisions. We definitely hired the right firm to guide and support us! The Starboard team were great facilitators, professional, yet at the same time, down-to-earth. We couldn’t have hired a better firm to work with us. The results have been fantastic!
Mary Budd was EXCELLENT in helping us find the right ED for Ketcha Outdoors…She was firm where needed with our large committee, but she listened very well and “got” what our organization was all about. She’s personable, smart and a true professional in this space.
We had a great experience with Starboard Leadership Consulting. Mary Budd provided deft guidance with just the right combination of structure and flexibility to support our strategic planning process. The framing questions she brought to the process resulted in rich and robust conversations. Our Board was fully engaged and appreciated the straightforward, streamlined process that resulted in a clear and focused strategic framework for our work in the next five years.
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