現代企業組織中，CEO是組織的靈魂與關鍵人物。CEO的突然變動，比如說突然離職或者突然去世等，給企業的運作將會造成不可挽回的損失?；诖?，董事會應該隨時做好相關預案。本期我們選取斯隆管理評論上的一篇文章，來看看如何應對CEO的突然變更
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.
詞匯：
mitigate the risks: 減小風險， 可以用mitigate替換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.
詞匯：
vetted: vet,審查
ring alarm bells: 敲響警鐘
bruising: bruise,挫傷
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.
詞匯：
assuaging these worries：減輕憂慮，assuage,又是減輕的意思
bylaws: 規章
imperative：重要緊急的事情
bulwark：防御工事
好了，其實，這篇文章的意思就是董事會要經常性的儲備一些CEO的理想人選，通過經常性的面試和接觸候選人，那么為了不挫傷現任CEO的積極性，可以以保密的程序進行。大家覺得這個建議如何呢？好了，我們下期再見。
