Giving grace and having grace for yourself

Commitments from board and staff for onboarding and being in transitions

Having a leadership coach, peer support, space for thought partnership

Don’t ignore red flags

1. Adopt a learning stance. What is the question we have that is associated with the anxiety (so we don’t have to fall back to assuming the worst)

2. Idea: a conflict coach to navigate conflict. 

3. Use issues as an opportunity to build infrastructure

Mutuality and reciprocity (Having conversations about power)

Time and spaciousness

Make space for the full organization to reflect and be engaged

Setting clear boundaries and expectations and goals (and not letting them get blurry)

1:1 conversations with board, staff and stakeholders

Giving attention to offboarding of exiting leader so it doesn’t impact incoming leader. The incoming leaders should not be held responsible for the outgoing leader’s feelings. E.g. offboarding coaching. 

Exiting Leader

1. Severance package

2. Messaging the Farewell- Public event- celebrates the leaders and gives the appearance of a healthy transition

Board

1. Transfer of information-

2. Keep transition on the agenda for a year before and after

   1. Getting people ready for this to be a long process

Staff

1. Communication

2. External consultant to help hold the process (1:1 interviews with staff, offer space with non biased person to share

3. Multiple touch points

4. Intentional coaching- matching with the right coach

5. Creating room for people to try and fail 

6. Make space for others to offer care e.g. coaching, mediation 

7. Space for reflection, retreat, relationship-building

Other stakeholders e.g. Philanthropy or coalition partners

1. Communication & reassurance 

2. A staff retreat 

The transition gave us a chance to restructure our organization. We are experimenting with a leadership group/circle instead of two or three key leaders. This might create a more robust bench.

Opportunity for us to grow our community's power and have that strengthened and sustained. Deepen community education and organizing. Policies that are being developed and changed. How do we track changes and share with our community members who are activated right now and could be spurred into action.

Inspired by Ember Phoenix - they were looking to break down through theater and art. We are seeing dismantling and institutions broken down. How do we get through it and understand? Out of this, we have a role in our ecosystem that people can connect into as they need. How can temporary time and space with people can cause lasting impact.

We get funding to continue as we are, or maybe expand. We just added five new team members.

My interactions with my family has informed how I organize. It has also influenced my interpersonal relationships. How do we move through conflict could go right. Can I be more embodied and authentic? And then also bring this to movement work.

Can our strengthening within our organization mean leaders are able to authentically to show up in communities and anywhere else they go.

We can create structures for conflict, decision making, and power that helps us go deeper in our relationships with each other.

Be in principled struggle together. And better off for that journey together.