Late last year, one of the largest health research foundations in the world approached our firm with an urgent request: It needed to find a transformational head of human resources to help the organization address an alarmingly high rate of employee turnover.

The foundation was struggling to retain top performers within its junior- and mid-level ranks. The losses were creating disruption throughout the organization, particularly at the leadership level. Without a sufficient pool of "high-potentials" capable of moving up through the organization, the existing management team was unable to develop and nurture a pipeline of potential successors.

This situation is not unique in the nonprofit, foundation, or association space. I have worked with several clients, both large and small, seeking to address their long-term staffing goals. While a number of resources are available for organizations to help them create a succession plan, it is important to understand that lacking a viable strategy is a symptom of a larger issue. Before a succession plan can be implemented, a strong bench of talented individuals must exist, ready to step into leadership positions when necessary.

Success stories of employees beginning in one role and eventually growing into another position should be highlighted during onboarding or in orientation materials. This creates a vision for career paths.

Building this bench of internal talent can be a challenge for any organization, but nonprofits and associations may struggle more because their organizations are typically flat and less hierarchal. The result? Without a defined path upward, employees feel compelled to move to another organization for career growth. And the employer, without a formal structure of performance-based promotions, may not be able to identify talented team members. These two factors contribute to instability and disruption.

Acknowledging the ever-present challenge of limited resources, what changes can management implement this year to ensure that they will have the leaders they need five or 10 years down the road? Three key areas for attention are succession planning, assessment, and onboarding.

Succession planning. It is important to approach staffing plans, job design, and candidate selection (at all levels) with succession planning in mind. As staffing plans are developed, identify the skill sets and key leadership characteristics that align with the organization's strategy. Then assess where there are gaps within the existing team and incorporate gaps in potential hires. The areas should also be priority for learning and development initiatives for current staff. Adding these attributes into the evaluation criteria will build the necessary bench strength for a stronger team.

Assessment. When a new employee joins the organization, he or she should be assessed for leadership potential, across all functional and experience levels. Each new employee should also be made aware of the potential to grow within the organization. Success stories of other employees beginning in one role and eventually growing into another position should be highlighted during onboarding or in orientation materials. This creates a vision for career paths.

Onboarding. Onboarding programs for new employees are best known as an important step in getting new employees off to a great start. This process can also be a great tool for identifying and evaluating future leaders in order to encourage a mentoring program. Senior management needs to be involved in this process.

The learning for these future leaders comes from answering key questions about the organization. Do they understand the importance of continuity through transitions? Do they understand the role of board governance? What are appropriate answers to frequently asked questions about the organization? What should future leaders know about the budget and financial plans? What are the current strategic goals for the organization?

For current leadership, this is a time of reflection. Are they identifying learning opportunities for future leaders by providing exposure to the answers to these questions? Is senior leadership hearing back what they thought they were communicating?

The nonprofit, philanthropic, and association sectors face different types of challenges in planning for succession. Resources are often not available, as there is rarely built-in redundancy between core functions. By building bench strength with the core competencies and properly managing knowledge transfer for succession, your organization will be ready for the future.