Multiple studies have found that leadership transitions result in disappointment, frustration, or failure approximately 40 percent of the time. Today, leadership changes are happening with increasing frequency as a result of baby boomer retirements and organizational adjustments to rapidly changing business dynamics. Failed transitions are costly as time and financial resources are lost, opportunities are missed, goal attainment is hindered, and employee morale is adversely impacted.   

Research has also found that the likelihood of attaining a team’s three-year financial goals is increased by 90% when a leadership transition is successful as opposed to unsuccessful.  Unfortunately, the route to an effective transition can be difficult to locate and follow.  Where to begin?  What elements are working well?  What aspects of current practices and processes require improvement?  

The answers to these questions can best be found in the feedback of those who are most experienced with current transition policies and practices – recently transitioned leaders.  Those leaders are “subject matter experts” when it comes to answering questions like: 

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• How well-oriented and informed are our leaders at the conclusion of their leadership transition? 

• What aspects of a leadership transition are the most challenging in our organization? 

• What recommendations do our recently transitioned leaders have for strengthening transitions at this company? 

• Has the support and guidance provided our leaders in new roles helped them to: 

  • clearly understand their roles’ responsibilities, decision making authority, and strategic priorities? 

  • establish effective communication up, down, and across? 

  • evaluate team members’ competencies and potential? 

  • establish appropriate group goals and performance metrics? 

Greentree Consulting Ltd.’s low-cost assessment process poses questions like those above.  Answers to these and other questions enable organizations to identify transition practices that work and those needing improvement.  Additionally, demographic analyses provide deeper insight into what’s working for both new and experienced leaders in new positions. 

As part of our assessment service, Greentree Consulting Ltd.: 

• interviews the client to determine current transition practices and concerns;  

• assists in identifying appropriate survey participants; 

• distributes a questionnaire to appropriate recipients; 

• analyzes responses to identify key findings; 

• facilitates a management team discussion of the results and the planning of next steps to improve future transitions.   

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