Public-Sector Succession: A Strategic Approach to Sustaining Innovation Author(s): Ellen Schall Source: Public Administration Review, Vol.

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Public-Sector

Succession:

Stategc

Approach

to

Sustaining

Jnnovauon

Ellen Schall, New York University

in the aboutsuccession to thinkstrategically Is itpossible succesprivate-sector reviews the The author publicsector? in the and analyzes the barriers insight sionliteraturefor seriously.Witha case to takingsuccession publicsector succession at managing on herown experience studybased she Justice, York Department theNew City ofJuvenile leader whois strategies thatthepublicsector offersfour mightuseapproach to succession to a strategic committed filly employ.

the publicandprivate sectors alike,demand for change is theoneconstant.There is a loudcallfor leaders whocanaccommodate and change personally whocaninitiate anddrive broad in their changes organizations. These make sensebutraise demands a troubling issue. Byrelentlessly on change, arewe risking insisting thelossof innovations realized? Thisis a particurecently salient forpublic-sector larly question which are agencies, attack from allsides. currently under Inthisarticle, I assert that while must beon the change agenda of anypublic foritsvery survival aswellas agency forthepublic to ensure good,it is justasimportant that in oneadministration gains achieved begiven a fair assessment andnotbejettisoned, without to thegodof review, the importance change.Indeed, of "sustained innovation"-essentially alive-is an increasing keeping change forpublic challenge agencies., Willinnovative created asa response programs to social beallowed problems to liveouttheir "natural" orwill lives, bekilled they offbefore their time, independent of performance and outcomes? Thisissue is particularly acute in the transition between elected or appointed government offiin a highly cials-especially politicized environment that limitsgovernment's capacity to continue efforts across administrations. onecritical Moreover, toolavailable to the private sector, succession planning, is rarely used bypublic agencies because theexecutive's fortunes are generally tiedto a particular administration. Many public-sector leaders have devised forcontinuing strategies efforts across administrations. Some establish support thegovernment, beyond forexample, from thebusiness or other community local some obtain "elites"; early bipartisan political support. Still others avoid demise program by identifying a champion to theincoming linked administration so asto have a voice orbycreating "inside," wide support within theagency (and other so thatthenewgovernor agencies) ormayor hears a consistent message. Finally, some administrators have sucinwinning ceeded national recognition fortheir innovations sothat discontinuing them isaperceived political risk.
In
Public Administration Review+ January/February 1997, Vol.57,No. 1

characterize executive As important as these approaches are,innovations also can be theauthors transitions atalllevels of governin succes- mentas "marked or agency headsengaging by serious sustained by cabinet secretaries deficiencies in preparation, orientation, and communication" (45). However, eventhoughthesepeopleareas vulnerable to shiftwhile noting sion planning, thatsome ing political winds as theirsuperiors.In fact,this level,whereso research existson the political management of transition at the a real presidential andgubernatorial much actualand potentialinnovationresides,represents levels, theauthors do not make use and transferring them of thebroader opportunity for both preserving innovations literature on transition andexecutive succession that ananalysis helpguide of transition to subsequent regimes-providedthe agencyheadscan, and will, would andchange at theagentheirowntenure.It is no longer cylevel-particularly extend theirstrategic visionbeyond notbetween, within, administrations. Various to achieve difficult as it maybe. The public-secframeworks helpconceptualize sufficient transition change, generally and that tor leadermustlearnto considernot only what can be but what theissues surround it. Themostuseful begin before theactuevent andWechsler, will be, how what is achievedcan be sustained. This requires alsuccession (Rainey 1988;Greenblatt, 1983; andRosen, future-oriented attention to what strategicthinking,which I arguemust include Gordon 1981)anddraw and Rainey calltheobjective aswellassubjective attentionto succession planning. Succession planningdone well Wechsler domains. Butthere for a change in leadership, but it also is something evenhere. Greenblatt, involves preparing the agency missing forexample, begins andhow thatcanbe pre- withwhat he terms whathasbeenvaluable the"anticipatory" includes assessing stage butfailsto capture the andtransferred to the subsequent for a strategic viewof this moment. Gordon served regime.It is thisstrategic, opportunity and thatI focuson Rosen innovation pointout the needto attend to the timebefore sustaining aspectof succession planning the new in thisarticle. leader buttheystillstart withthenewleader's arrives, chobeing in theprivate First, I shalllookat howresearch on succession sec- sen. Rainey andWechsler describe transition asa major "strategytor is bothhelpfuland hindering for public-sector succession plan- influencing" event. Thisstopsshortof grasping transition's full in the realmof sustaining innovation.I will also potential to make, ning, especially notjustinfluence, strategy. write asif the They theresearch examine thatexists in thepublic sector andits relevance. departing leader hasnoroleinshaping thetransition. I describe a series thatmustbe overcome theliterature of constraints or barriers if someattention to theperson Although gives leavin public-sector deVries, to thenewleader succession is to be taken is given ing(Kets seriously organizations. andhis 1988),more I present as Commis- orherdilemmas Gilmore a casestudydrawnfrommy experience and (Gouldner, 1950; Greenblatt, 1983; where Ronchi, of Juvenile on leadership article sionerof the New York 1995). In a particularly City Department Justice, interesting I served in a way that during for sevenyearsand managed my succession Service interregna, Farquhar (1991)examines 43 Legal the dynamics that had beenput in placeto be retained Corporations andanalyzes enabledthe innovations andimpact of interim the administrations. andfurther innovations basedon theseto be created.I discuss to implement thissuccession Otherresearch the important fourinterconnected devised in dimensions strategies distinguishes barriers to taking which cases themostsignificant andshowhow theycan helpboth in overcoming differ, arguably beingthe reason NotallCEOsuccessions and in shapingthe legacyof a public-sector fordeparture. areequally succession seriously for interesting theorists. andBaumrin. organization. Fredrickson, Hambrick, (1988)suggest

Succession andSuccession Planning: A BriefReview of the Literature

Mostarticles on succession andsuccession planning beginwitha transitionmeritsmoreattention familiarlament:executive-level than it gets in the literature (Raineyand Wechsler, 1988; Greenblatt,1983;GordonandRosen,1981;AustinandGilmore, 1993). The relatively few authors who address the issuein the contextof the publicsectorpoint out the evenmoreserious gapon thatside. The NationalAcademy of PublicAdministration (NAPA),anticiin the Federal retirements SeniorExecutive Serpatingsignificant in 1994, begana serious vicebeginning lookat succession planning in the early 1990s (NAPA, 1992). The NAPA researchers also on the lackof attention to publicsector remarked transitions. In an article writtenin 1993, although refers to published later,Farquhar the "rapidly literature on succession expanding" (Farquhar, 1996a), and in 1995, she editeda special editionof HumanResource Manon the topicof leadership transitions agement (Farquhar, 1995). Both the problemin the public sectorand its consequences havebeen described by Raineyand Wechsler (1988), who argue, "Whether one adoptsa broador morespecific approach to organiIt is a serious matter thatsuccession planning in thepublic seczational performance andproductivity, effective transition manage- tor, especially belowthe presidential level,has not, until recently, ment is essential to achieving positiveresults."At the sametime, received muchattention in the literature. However, a morecritical

thatfirings andvoluntary offer themostmeatbecause departures then are real choices their work focuses on dismissals. only made; and Gilmore also Austin the importance of the (1993) highlight reason fortransition. various reasons Theyoutline andciteprevion each-retirement, ousworks term expiration, protest, reassignordeath-butselect forcase ment, theleader who illness, analysis chooses to moveon to a newopportunity. Theyareespecially in suggesting helpful thedeparting explicit strategies canuse leader to manage theexitprocess. On thetopicof contemplating one's Austin successor, andGilmore (1993,52) comment, "Itis striking howmany executives have known thatthey willbeleaving within a ortwoandhave notfound a wayeither year to focus on leadership or to expand succession the talent to helpthe organization cope witha change." Thisis theterritory thatmyarticle to plumbfurther: attempts thevoluntary decision to leave, anddiscussed in advance, planned as opposed to the sudden andtraumatic thatFarquhar leaving has written about andstrategically (1996) framed.

Taking Succession Seriously

Public-Sector Succession: A Strategic Approach to Sustaining Innovation

Succession

even intheprivate planning, sector,

has all too been not regarded as areplacement issue, a often stakeholders.
issueis thatit has not received muchattention in the actual world of publicservice.This omission, in part,reflects the factthatleadersin the publicsectorhavethemselves not takenthe issueof successionplanningseriously, for obvious concerns like elecexcept tions and mandates. Doing strategicexecutivesearchesin the publicsectoris difficult,but that is a secondary factor. What is primary, I suggest,is changing culture so thatfocuspublic-sector a hallmark ing on succession andbeyondbecomes of strategic leadership. The public-sectorexecutivemust begin to considerthe end right at the beginning. The pull to get consumedby the demands of the present is strongbut mustbe resisted.Creating a pictureof whatthe leader wantsto leavebehindwill actually help focus strategicchoicesas well as directthe leader's attentionto of the existing oftenoverlooked strengths organization. fourtypesof barriers Public-sector to leadersmust surmount takingsuccession seriously. 1. The leader's to takeup the succession reluctance "task". issuesarebeyondthe scopeof 2. The assumption that succession the leader's work. taskshouldbe framed-is 3. Confusion abouthow the succession it a matter of replacing oneselfor of strategic "positioning?" 4. Lackof information abouthow to take up the task-how to in the midstof a shiftingpolitical environplan for succession mentandgivenregulatory andpolitical constraints.

to be shared the strategic responsibility among organizations

F .R. Ketsde Vries(1988) alsowritesaboutthe relucManfred tanceof corporate CEOs to tacklesuccession planning. As does he focuseson the retirement-age Sonnenfeld, CEO in the private sectorwho has to overcome the "hidden fearsthat plagueus all" (57) to facestepping down. Drawingdirectparallels betweenpublic- and private-sector research on succession mustbe done carefully.Because the public sectorhas moreshort-term leaders than institutionbuilders, one must take particular carein using the categories Sonnenfeld has illuminated.Nevertheless, the publicsectorhas its shareof reluctant-to-leave leaders. Certainlythere are generalswho believe, againstall evidence,that there is some chancethey can survive even an unfriendly transition of mayoror governor and thus are averse to planningfor a succession they do not want to happen. One also finds monarchs who are so imbuedwith their heroic senseof missionthattheyfind it unthinkable thattheyeverwould be forcedto depart,no matterhow unreasonable that beliefmay be. Theytherefore resistanyattempt to broach the ideaof succession,muchlessthe planning forit. The publicsectorhasmorethanits fairshareof governors, too. They seeman unlikelygroupon whom to dependfor succession in the agencyis often minimal,as is planning. Theirinvestment the agency's in them. The hope for planningmust lie with the them to enlarge ambassadors, the scope primarily by encouraging of theirvisionto includethe taskof succession planning. Assuming That Succession

Is Beyondthe Scopeof the Leader's Work

Beyondpersonal reluctance lies the powerof the groupnorm. The publicsectoris focusedon the here-and-now, andauthority is thoughtto be given,not takenup. Both the private and not-for-profit sectorshavea clearer focus on the future. Whilethe American business is somecommunity timescriticized for attending too muchto the shortterm,as comReluctance to "Deal" withSuccession to theJapanese, for example, pared it is clearthattherearemechaIn TheHero's Farewell a study of 50 prominent, retired, pri- nismsand institutionalized roleswithinthe private sectorto carry vate-sector Sonnenfeld CEOs,Jeffrey the "heroic the perspective of the future:the stockholders (1988) discusses and the boardof of the departing self-concept leader" a greatinfluence directors, if not the CEO. ReginaHerzlinger (3) as having (1994) has argued on succession.Partof that self-concept is a "sense of heroicmis- that this focus on the future and "intergenerational equity"is sion, a feelingthat one has a uniqueroleto fill and thatonly the amongthe most significantresponsibilities of the not-for-profit hero is capableof carryingout the responsibilities of the job." board. These future-oriented mechanisms and rolesareweakor Sonnenfeld this attitudeas "abarrier describes to the hero's exit" nonexistentin the public sector,certainlyat the agencylevel. the frustration with the heroicmission,and the Thoseoutsidegovernment (62). The greater oftencallmayors andgovernors to task moreattached to the "heroic stature" of the office(another aspect for budgetwizardry that risksfuturecrisisfor presentpeace. If of the heroicself-concept), the longerthe CEOsSonnenfeld stud- agency headsareheldaccountable at all, it is for theirmanagement ied stayed on the job (69). of day-to-day not theirinvestment problems, in the future. Sonnenfeld CEOattitudes groups toward intofourcatdeparture The literature's lackof attention to accountability forthe future fromcomplete egories reluctance ranging to willingness.Monarchs both underlinesand reinforces the currentsituation. As more will not leavevoluntarily andeitherdie in officeor areoverthrown. researchers turntheirattention to thisissue,it is possible theremay Generals leave with greatreluctanceand then plot comebacks. be someshiftin the public's expectations. It is likely,though,that Ambassadors leavegracefully and maintain amicable ties to theirold it will needsomegreater pushthanthat. Teaching in both graduorganizations. Governors arepleased to serve onlya limited timeand ate school and executiveeducationprogramscan have a great then leaveto do something else,maintaining littlecontact withthe impact. Justas facultytry to set a standard that expectsstrategic company. Monarchs and generals are clearlythe most averseto leadership frompublic-sector executives and discourages a narrow acknowledging thatthe end draws nigh, and thatfactoraffects the focuson fightingfires,teachers can extendtheirunderstanding of likelihood of a succession planning process occurring atall. what it takesto be strategic.Faculty can "raise the bar"(Zegans,

Public Administration Review* January/February 1997,Vol. 57, No. I

1994) anddrawa new picture of whatexcellence in the publicsecan attention aswellas to thepresent. tordemands: to the future I

Public

sector leaders too ofen allow the turbulence to

Confusionabout the Succession"Frame"

limit their action. scope of

Succession evenin the private hasall too often missioner planning, sector, for sevenyears,from 1983 to 1990. Duringmy tenure, beenregarded as a replacement issue,not a strategic responsibility the department accomplished two majorgoals. We revitalized a to be sharedamong the organization's stakeholders(National bureaucracy that had originally been partof a "mega-agency" and Academyof PublicAdministration, 1992; Kets de Vries,1988). hadlostall senseof purpose andefficiency beforebeingreincarnatX by Y, who hassimilar That is, the intentis to replace skillsand ed as a separate in 1979 (Gilmore department and Schall,1986). or the We developeda clearmission and role for juvenile detention. training. What is missingis the link betweenthe vacancy, and the organization's needs(Grat- Overall, we created an innovative forthcoming vacancy, strategic and believedthat organization, to preserving ton andSyrett,1990)-particularly thoserelated the sustaining our innovations andthe impetusto innovate werecritiinnovations it hasachieved. callyimportant.4 is forcingcompanies in the Unprecedented The executivestaff of the JuvenileJustice Departmenthad globalcompetition in this strategic private sectorto rethink succession planning light, becomea teamin Katzenbach and Smith's (1993) sense. We had and those failingto do so are increasingly being "punished" by movedfrombeingpreoccupied with handling an endless supplyof eitherthe marketor their competition,and usuallyby both. I short-term issuestoward for and the pattern buildingthe capacity would arguethat the need for such strategic to this focuswascreating thinkingis equally of lookingahead. Crucial the notionof acute in the public sector,albeit motivatedby differentfactors. casemanagement as a wayto makerealour newlydefinedmission The approach, seemslong in coming. Althoughsome of custody andcareandto explore its implications for the children however, andthe staffattending states have moved toward a more strategicview of executive we served to them. Although I wasoffered this efforthas generally been initiatedonly afterthe opportunities recruitment, to leavethe department that earlyon, I determined leader hasresigned or beenterminated.2 two additionalgoals had to be reachedbeforeI felt "finished" enoughto depart. The first involvedinstitutionalizing our case the management The was program throughout second agency. Difficultyof ManagingSuccession receivingfinal city approvalof our plans to replace a muchin a Turbulent Environment secure detention with two new,smaller, maligned facility commuto managing succession: tech- nity-based Thereareactually two challenges facilities. leaders havelimitedaccess By early 1988, these goals were well on their way toward nologyand turbulence.Public-sector and I believedthe time for new leadership was to searchtechnology and searchfirms;they may not even under- accomplishment, is thin nearing. I discussed search with Tom my role in the transition standthe stepsin a strategic process process.The literature consultantto the departmentand on the subject and offersfew cluesabouthow to proceed.Turbu- Gilmore,an organizational of Making a Leadership lencenow existsin all threesectors.It is not justin the publicsec- author Change (Gilmore, 1988). It is to his tor that strategicplanningmust somehowbe both short- and thinkingand framework that we owe much of the workthat foldiffersby sector(competi- lowed,beginning with a retreat, in the fall of 1988, for the execulong- term. The sourceof turbulence tion versus but the swirling confused winds tivestaff. election,for example), that each produces can makethe processmorecomplicated anywhere.Whatseparates the sectors is theirreaction to turbulence. Launching the "Finishing Up" Phase Public-sector leaderstoo often allow the turbulence to limit theirscopeof action("there will be a new mayor so I haveno conwe beganby discussing how our Duringthis multiday retreat, whereas leaders areexpected trol"), private-sector to "manage" the groupwascurrently andwhatworkeachunit in the agency faring turbulence ("howcan we move into this new market and fast?"). wouldbe undertaking in the nexttwo years. Then, eachexecutive Electionsneed not doom the processof executive succession. If staffmember outlined whathis or herown timehorizon waslikely the first three barriers could be overcomeand leadershad the to be, and how that did or did not dovetail with the workto be will-were expected to planfor succession andsawit as a strategic accomplished. In essence, we acknowledged we werelaunching a task-the technology could be acquired and the turbulence "finishing with all that implied:pridein achievement, up"phase, but not succumbed acknowledged to. exhaustion fromthe effort,disappointment aboutunrealized goals, thesebarriers in mind,we turnto an example Keeping of howa andfulldosesof the irritation andaffection builtup overthe years. public-sectorsuccessioncan be managedsuccessfully and how I announced to leaveat thistimebut did not actually my intention hard-won innovations cansurvive the transition. leavefor 18 months. We then turnedto issuesof both legacyand succession: legacy to ensurethat our innovations would survive and succession as a As to succession, major strategy. we determined thatwe preferred someonefromour own ranks. By the end of the retreat, not only The New York City Department of Juvenile Justice wascreated had we "chosen" our candidate,the assistantcommissioner for as a separate executive-branch agency in 1979. I served asits com- secure detention, she had begunto see herself as a possible succes-

a Public-Sector Managing Transition: A CaseStudy

Public-Sector Succession: A Strategic Approach to Sustaining Innovation

was not a simple matter,however,and prosuch identification aboutoverallskills,vision, agencymission, debates voked heated I a we compiled and otherfactors.Nevertheless, ability, managerial strengths each person's list of about30 peopleand then assessed stayingon and the likelihoodof the individual's and weaknesses for professional needed what each We specified with the agency. and beganconnectingher or him with appropriate development thatwe wouldwatchout for eachother's wouldbe preserved? opportunities-pledging thatourlegacy sor. But how couldwe ensure forexample, the way. From thisreview, them along help to staffand whichwe attempted for ourselves, We inventedfourquestions with the potentialof of a staff assistant the talent upon we drew andforthe nextyearand duringthe retreat simultaneously address overa heretofore and targeted capacity dolls, developingmanagerial in fact, as a set of Russian more. We saw thesechallenges, and work for more cross-agency operational senior manager looked eachnestedin another. who understand As we to grew overall to the system. exposure as the next comappointed * How could we get our candidate would be leaving,we discussedwho could be groomedto take Department? Justice of theJuvenile missioner * If this failed,how couldwe get someoneelsewho would con- over. in focusingour training this list helpedimmensely Compiling andourvision? tinueourinnovations for examvarious of programs, city-wide As we learned howcould resources. wasappointed, * If thistoo failed,anda nonsupporter these offered on it could be list so to our people ple, we referred alive? innovations we keepsuccessful sup- opportunities. so a future map" * If all elsefailed,couldwe leavea "treasure whatwe haddone? couldrediscover commissioner portive by Hardwiring simultaneously byscenario-playing, thesequestions Wetackled havea life of theirown;they go Somethingsin organizations alternative paths-whatBardach andby creating pitfalls, anticipating Justo all efforts almost changethem. At the Juvenile Ourstrate- on against implementors." (1977)callsthe workof "dirty-minded to the forms used process thosethingsincluded tice Department fromthelistof questions. order belowin reverse giesarediscussed two yearsinto my tenurefindingformsin use kids. I remember as a separate the 1979 creationof the department that predated Designing a TreasureMap me then. Later,it intriguedme. What agency. This infuriated despiteour effortsto create the nextsupport- aboutthoseformsmadethemsurvive The ideawas,if all elsehadfailed,to provide of the fixtures of cluesaboutourefforts-our trea- new systems?Theyseemedalmostlike permanent with a series ive commissioner effortto createan they werehardwired.In a deliberate agency; to leavebehindthe following: forexample, sures.We decided, thancutting equivalentmethod with equal sticking power, we turned our rather programs, * Traces of eachof our innovative the rest. attentionto what we hoped might be our versionof those old cuts)to spare budget anyone (in the faceof significant comcase-management newlydeveloped easily forms:the department's so it couldbe fairly * At leastone staffperson eachprogram system. We put a greatdeal of energyinto movputer-tracking resurrected. * A goodwrittenrecord aboutour ing that ahead. We believedthat if a systemwas in place,hardin filesandpublicdocuments wired, which in effect systematizedthe case managementof accomplishments. data,it would carrya greatdeal children and reported we knew individual for eachmajorinitiative.Moregenerally, * Champions we wereleavingbehinda staffimbuedwith a visionof innova- of weight. We knew that weight could easilybecomeinertia:it to shift awayfrom proportion wouldtakean effortof significant tion andexcellence. of the staff's goodworkhad it. and acknowledgment Oursupport also extendedto the department's Our focus on hardwiring and we countedon their of our administration, been a hallmark externalrelationships,particularlyin the realm of oversight. muchof the innovation. forward to carry enhanced capacity our work,we figured overseeing with multipleagencies our "Blessed" We were not naiveenoughto believethat, if discovered, certain to receiving data,reported accustomed underthe samenamesand exactly thatif theybecame treasures would get resurrected that information ways,they would be likelyto request in the sameway. Thatwasnot the goal. Wewerenot lookingfor in certain our casetoward and exertsomepressure subsequently we hopedthat the cluesmightsomehowpro- andformat eternallife; rather, it. to receive andsystem approach anddirection. management ourmomentum vokenewideasto sustain

we hoped rather, eternal life; not e were lookingfor

sustain to new ideas provoke somehow might that the clues direction. and momentum our

Keeping Successful Innovations Alive

Decisions Strategic

aftercare we had decidedto run a community-based Earlier, ratherthan contractit out; doing so involved people and program ourselves The two new tacticswe pursuedwere preparing new civil serviceposistrate- tremendous of previous effort,includingestablishing the system.We alsotookadvantage "hardwiring" crisis,it would be financial programs. tions. We felt that in an (inevitable) of innovative ourlegacy to helppreserve gicdecisions and layoffs, for the city to cancelcontracts thanto authorize easier People roundsof budgetcuts Preparing we wereright. We experienced successive talentat the but wereableto hold on to at leasta coreof staff. Also,ourintenstaffbeganidentifying By early1989 the executive the criteriafor sive home-based Determining to costly unit. each within next level down program,FamilyTies, an alternative

Public Administration Review* January/February 1997,Vol. 57, No. 1

stateplacement, waspositioned as a revenue-enhancer: eachstaff Moving Forward notbe charged person should to ourbudget asa cost,weinsisted, butinstead counted assaving thestateandcitytogether How canwe persuade $70,000 public-sector leaders to takeup the task perchild placed withFamily Ties. Asa result, theJuvenile Justice of succession?Sectordoes not matterwhen it comesto the leadDepartment actually added positions in the program whenthe er'sdarkside;the wish to believein one'sown immortality and to overall budget wascut. stay in control (Kets de Vries, 1988) can be found in leaders
acrosssectors. Althoughleaders in all sectorsconfrontrelentless demands on theirtime and energies, private-sector cultures work Findinga Successor Who WouldContinueOur Efforts morepowerfully to stress the needto planahead. We will haveto BecauseNew YorkCity was facinga mayoral campaign cultivate thatemphasis in the publicsectorif we seek it. We can (between Dinkins David andRudolph aswewere devis- begin by searching Guiliani) for storiesor case examples of successful and ingourlegacy andsuccession we designed strategies, scenarios for strategicpublic-sectortransitions. We can attempt to set the each candidate onwhom he might based want ascommissioner of expectation througheducation,solidifyit throughpublic attenthe Juvenile Justice We brainstormed Department. a range of tion, and seek to attractambassadors to the work of the public issues including values, andgender andconsidered ethnicity, peo- sector. plefitting various Wewanted to be ableto present profiles. a list This is not the easiestof times to build a focus on the long of real if someone candidates asked-and to present thatlisteven term,however.Thereis a serious disconnect between the demands if no onedid. Wethenwenton to think about whowould likely on, and expectations of, public-sector leaders and theirlengthsof be influential in the newmayor's and stay. Perhaps decision-making the "connect" process is all too clear:as citizens we aska lot, whether weknew them orknew someone whodid. offerlittle in termsof understanding and support(let alonecomblameeasily,and reward pensation), infrequently.In any event, the average tenureof public-sector agencyheadsis less than two Getting Our Candidate Appointed years. Giventhe impactof sucha brieftenureon expected results, DavidDinkins waselected, andhis approach to appointing adviceis beingoffered abouthow to shortenthe learning curveor commissioners wasdecentralized, on thechaotic. Com- reachfull speed more quickly. These observations, bordering while well foreachagency mittees named were asked to interview candidatesintentioned,seem inevitably to fall short. Public-sector leaders andmakerecommendations to the mayor.I knewthe person need to stay longerand focus more on the futureto ensurethe theJuvenile chairing andtalked withherdirectly. quality Justice of government group we need. withothers, Along ourcandidate wasinterviewed; shewasrecom- Democracies offercitizensan opportunity, throughelections, mended andultimately to bethenewcommissioner. selected to signaltheirpreferences, and electedofficialshavethe rightto createnew directions and changecourse. Yet both citizensand electedofficialsmustavoid"change for change's sake." Not only Managingthe Feelings can that attitudeslide all too easilyinto simple-minded governthe decision to leavethe Department Although of Juvenile ment-bashing, with the publicincreasingly losing respectfor any Justice wasstrictly to ensure government my own,andI strongly and any government programs attempted it alsosevereworker; that the transition was smooth,the process was hardly easy. ly constrains government's capacityto go forwardand build on Indeed, years whenI began after, thisarticle, I thought the best of its efforts-in other words, its capacityto sustain writing thatI hadannounced to leave sixmonths to innovation. my intention prior mydeparture-only after notesdidI realize it actually Both the publicand thosein the government checking need to learnto hadbeen 18 months. This confusion reflects the difficulties honorthe past and build upon it. We must begin creatingthe involved.There wereissues of authority, overhiring, forexam- expectation that the publicsectorcan, and should,focus on the ple,andthe natural tension eachof us feltbetween beingready longerterm. As I havesuggested in this article,seniorofficials, to moveon andreluctant to leave.Managing one's ownsucces- whetherelectedor appointed,must not only think strategically sionis not a simple whichis why,in the public affair, andpri- during their tenure but also be oriented beyond their tenure. vatesector, the issueof succession itselfandtheprocess of seek- Developing the willingness and ability to devise an effective areso oftenbadly inga successor handled. to succession approach is a crucial planning stepin thatprocess.

YetI believe thatwhena teamhas invested as muchas we hadin creating andinnovating organization, thework is unfinEllenSchallis the Martin Professor of HealthPolicy Cherkasky ished ifyouhavenotattempted to think strategically about itscon- and Management at the RobertF. WagnerGraduate School of tinuation. thedepartment's Today, case-management system and PublicService at New YorkUniversity.A lawyer by training, her theAftercare andFamily Tiesprograms areallin place, although interests includeleadership and innovation, organizational develreduced by budget cuts. Whilemysuccessor remained commit- opment,and serviceaccessand integration. Beforejoining the tedto theagenda we haddeveloped together, shetooktheagen- Wagner as president School,she served of the NationalCenterfor cy in newdirections witha focuson prevention. Sheremained HealthEducation andwasthe commissioner of the New York City at Juvenile for fouryears andhersuccessor Justice hasworked Department of Juvenile Justice. Ms. Schallservedas president of

hardto keep the basicprograms in place and move the agency the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management forward. (APPAM) in 1993-1994.

Public-Sector Succession: A Strategic Approach to Sustaining Innovation

Acknowledgment
in the 1994 DukeUniversity The author wishesto thankBob Behnandthe participants Faculty Seminar on Organizational Innovafor theirreactions tion in Stateand LocalGovernment, sponsored by the FordFoundation, and assistance in workingthrough issuesof demonstrated in offering a thorough publicsectorsuccession.Katherine Farquhar extraordinary generosity andthoughtful critique of an of the anonymous reviewers arealsoverymuchappreciated. earlier versionof this article.The comments Finally, Tom Gilmore's earlier here. assistance deserve andcontinuous support acknowledgment

Notes
Yin'sterms discussion of theroutinization of innovations. (Yin1979)but alsoincludes 1. SeeYin(1979)foranearly the feelings thataccompany the Clark Foundation what organizational changes. funded 2. In the early1980s,the EdnaMcConnell firmof Isaacson, Webbto be available 4. The Department of Juvenile Ford, Justice won the FordFoundation/Kennedy wasthentheexecutive search School of Government of correction.And the Innovation Award in StateandLocal to governors lookingfor new commissioners Government in 1986, the firstyearof the awards with fundingfromthe Robert Wood program, for its case-management NationalGovernors Association, program for at-risk youth. The department in the Centerin the was also recognized JohnsonFoundation, begana StateHealthRecruitment Public no morethantwoyears.Individual Broadcasting System and documentary, governors "Excellence in the PublicSecearly1990sthatlasted firms fromtimeto time,butmostrelyon a torwithTomPeters." mayors haveturned to search Additional innovations program included creating anAftercare andadapting narrow poolof people theyknow. Program HomeBuilders to thejuvenile justice we called with system in a program life history Ties. 3. This caseis presented at leastin partas a retrospective Family orcycles, in events, whether passages attention to theactual organizational

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Public Administration * January/February Review 1997, Vol.57,No. 1