Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64addiction, or mental health challenges. I’ve never been a food bank client, never run away from a foster home to a youth drop-in cen- ter, never spent a night in a shelter with 225 other men, never had to adjust to life in a new country after enduring the trauma of war or life in a refugee camp. It can be hard to place yourself in the shoes of someone who has suffered unimag- inably. On the other hand, many of our clients are people very similar to us—people who have hit a rough patch financially because they are unemployed or underemployed. Ī WWW.AGRM.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2017 41 Key Transitions Making the most of a change in leadership The CEO transition process is challenging. In my case, the board of Welcome Hall Mission had the benefit of time to set a plan in motion. For most of its 124-year history, Welcome Hall Mission was a small, struggling men’s shelter and soup kitchen. Today it’s one of the largest multiservice charitable organizations in Montreal with 140 full-time employees and an annual budget of close to $18 million. Almost all of the growth occurred during the 14-year tenure of my predecessor, Cyril Morgan. Today, WHM is home to the city’s largest food bank, the city’s largest men’s emergency shelter, a youth drop-in center, a free full-service dental clinic in partnership with McGill University, an “urban chic” boutique, children’s and family services, transitional housing units, and employment training programs. Its work is accomplished with dozens of partners in every conceivable area of social service in the city. When Cyril announced his intention to retire, the board established a comprehensive search process to find a replacement. They were concerned about how a wealth of knowledge could be transferred from one person to another in the process. After I was selected as the new leader, the board offered me the privilege of a three-month time when the outgoing CEO and I were able to work side by side. This arrangement may be a little unusual, but it’s valuable if both the in- coming and outgoing CEO are totally committed to a successful transfer of knowledge and responsibility. A good transition requires good chemistry between leaders. If the outgoing leader is trying to hang on to relationships or influence, it will likely be a bumpy ride for the incoming leader. If, on the other hand, the outgoing leader is generous and candid, internal and external relationships can be transitioned and the mission can continue to run smoothly. Cyril made our transition process work by helping with some critical areas while pulling back from others. As issues and projects were reviewed and handed over to me, I was expected to make judgment calls. Nonetheless, on several occasions I was gently guided away from making a less-than-optimal decision because the outgoing CEO was sitting in the office to provide input. —Samuel Watts