如何应对CEO的突然变更

现代企业组织中，CEO是组织的灵魂与关键人物。CEO的突然变动，比如说突然离职或者突然去世等，给企业的运作将会造成不可挽回的损失。基于此，董事会应该随时做好相关预案。本期我们选取斯隆管理评论上的一篇文章，来看看如何应对CEO的突然变更

No matter how happy boards of directors are with a company’s current top executive, all boards need to be prepared with a succession plan in order to mitigate the risk. One obvious step here for boards is creating a set of procedures to follow in seeking out and hiring a new CEO, but action should not stop there.

Boards should be meeting with potential candidates year-round. This is best done through what my company calls strategic introductions agreements. (Some other executive search partners use different terms for it or make it a component of a master services agreement.) Under these deals, every time an executive search firm comes across a candidate who may be a good fit for the company, the board is offered an opportunity to meet that individual. There’s no cost at the time. The company only pays if, in the future, they choose to hire that person.

词汇：

mitigate the risks: 减小风险， 可以用mitigate替换decrease哦。

year-round:全年

With these agreements in place, I’ve had client companies take immediate action when suddenly losing a CEO. They’ve hired new candidates within days who were already vetted and considered for the role, avoiding the potentially months-long process that other companies undergo.

The idea of effectively interviewing candidates for positions that aren’t available may ring alarm bells for some. For starters, boards don’t want to do anything to start rumors that they may be looking to replace the CEO. Some board members are also concerned about the possibility of bruising a CEO’s ego. They might fear that these proactive measures of speaking with potential replacements could signal to the CEO that the board is dissatisfied with current performance.

词汇：

vetted: vet,审查

ring alarm bells: 敲响警钟

bruising: bruise,挫伤

To avoid this, boards can keep the process confidential by using nondisclosure agreements with candidates. Standardizing these practices will also go a long way in assuaging these worries. If it’s standard practice, then meeting candidates is not a sign of distrust in a current CEO. One step boards can take is adding a provision into their bylaws that makes the process of interviewing potential alternate leadership throughout the year a core duty. 

Finding the right CEO is a significant undertaking and one that requires precision and commitment. In one survey, directors of Fortune 250 companies said they believe fewer than four people could step into the role and run it at least as well as the current CEO. It’s imperative to be prepared.

Businesses should act on the expectation that emergencies could happen at any time — and that when they do, competitor companies will rush to take advantage of a loss in leadership. Having terrific new leaders “on deck” is a bulwark, strengthening the organization’s position for the future.

词汇：

assuaging these worries：减轻忧虑，assuage,又是减轻的意思

bylaws: 规章

imperative：重要紧急的事情

bulwark：防御工事

好了，其实，这篇文章的意思就是董事会要经常性的储备一些CEO的理想人选，通过经常性的面试和接触候选人，那么为了不挫伤现任CEO的积极性，可以以保密的程序进行。大家觉得这个建议如何呢？好了，我们下期再见。