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SUCCESSION STUDY: INTERNAL TEAM MEMBER Survey

INTRODUCTION

You are being invited to participate in the first industry survey examining the social and emotional impact of leadership succession in architecture and design firms. Your experience as a team member who lived through a leadership transition provides vital insights into how succession processes affect the broader organization.

This research aims to understand the relationship between succession planning processes and their emotional impact on leaders and teams. By participating, you'll help establish industry benchmarks and best practices that can improve succession outcomes for everyone in the firm.

The survey takes approximately 10-12 minutes to complete. All responses are completely confidential and will be reported only in aggregate. Your individual responses will not be shared or attributed to you or your firm in any way.

Your perspective as someone who experienced the day-to-day reality of organizational change during succession is essential to this research and to the broader industry.
Demographics
1.Type of firm
2.Size of firm (number of employees):
3.When did the leadership transition take place?
4.Type of succession
5.Your role in the succession
6.Transition status
7.Years with the firm at the time of succession:
8.Your role at the time of succession
SECTION 1: TIMELINE & COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE
9.When did you first learn that a leadership succession was going to happen?
10.How did you first learn about the succession?
11.Did the timeline or expectations change during the process from your perspective?
12.How clear was the succession timeline to you as it was happening?
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13.How much uncertainty did the succession timeline create for you?
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14.How did the timing of communications affect your ability to do your job?
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SECTION 2: SELECTION PROCESS EXPERIENCE
15.From your perspective, did it seem like multiple candidates were considered for the leadership role?
16.Were you aware of internal candidates being considered?
17.Did leadership explain why the selected person was chosen?
18.How fair did the selection process seem to you?
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19.How confident are you that the right leadership choice was made?
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20.Did you have concerns about the selection that were or weren't addressed? (Open text)
21.How has your relationship with leadership changed as a result of the succession?
Much stronger
Stronger
Same
Weaker
Much weaker
SECTION 3: TRANSITION PERIOD EXPERIENCE
22.How long did the leadership transition period feel to you?
23.Did you notice any gaps in leadership or decision-making during the transition?
24.How smooth did the handover of responsibilities appear from your perspective?
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25.How well were you prepared for the changes that came with the new leadership?
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26.How has your day-to-day work changed since the leadership transition?
Much better
Better
Same
Worse
Much worse
27.How has the succession impacted your day-to-day work experience?
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28.What support did you need during the transition that you did or didn't receive?
SECTION 4: DEPARTING LEADER EXPERIENCE
29.How did the departing leader's exit seem to be handled?
Very smooth
Smooth
Adequate
Awkward
Very awkward
30.Did the departing leader seem prepared and ready to step back?
Yes, completely
Mostly
Somewhat
Not really
Not at all
31.How long did it take for the departing leader to fully step back from day-to-day involvement?
32.What do you miss most about the previous leadership, if anything? (Open text)
33.How comfortable did you feel approaching the departing leader during the transition?
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34.How did the departing leader's exit affect team morale?
Much better
Better
Same
Worse
Much worse
SECTION 5: NEW LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
35.How quickly did the new leader establish their leadership style?
Very quickly
Quickly
Gradually
Slowly
Still establishing
36.How different is the new leadership approach from the previous leader?
Completely different
Very different
Somewhat different
Similar
Nearly identical
37.How has communication within your firm changed since the succession?
Much better
Better
Same
Worse
Much worse
38.How comfortable do you feel approaching the new leadership with concerns or ideas?
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39.Do you feel your voice and contributions are valued the same, more, or less under the new leadership?
Much more
More
Same
Less
Much less
40.How confident are you in your standing with the new leadership?
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41.What are you most hopeful about with the new leadership?
SECTION 6: OVERALL IMPACT
42.How well were you kept informed about succession decisions throughout the process?
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43.What information did you wish you had received that you didn't get?
44.In the first 90 days after the transition, how effectively were changes communicated?
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45.How emotionally challenging has this transition been for you personally?
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46.How has team morale been affected by the leadership change?
Much better
Better
Same
Worse
Much worse
47.How has the succession affected your sense of job security?
Much more secure
More secure
Same
Less secure
Much less secure
48.Do you feel you have gained or lost influence as a result of the succession?
Gained significantly
Gained somewhat
No change
Lost somewhat
Lost significantly
49.If you could give feedback to leadership about how the succession was handled, what would you say?
50.How likely are you to recommend this firm as a good place to work after experiencing this succession?
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