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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 an employee of your firm who lived through a leadership transition provides vital insights into how succession processes affect the broader organization.

There are 3 surveys associated with this study focused on the following groups; 1. Outgoing Leaders, 2. Incoming Leaders (successors), 3. Firm Team Members. Links to all three surveys can be found here; https://www.janewaltonconsulting.com/succession

This research aims to understand the relationship between succession planning processes and the emotional impact on people. 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 10-15 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.

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