#190 | Why Every Organization Needs a Succession Plan With Naomi Hattaway from Contagious Culture

Contagious Culture

Kyle S. King

Episodes

About

Reviews

Promote

#190 | Why Every Organization Needs a Succession Plan With Naomi Hattaway

39 minutes Posted Jun 19, 2026 at 9:00 am.

— Introduction00:39 — Meet Naomi Hattaway and Leaving Well01:00 — Can workplace transitions include joy?02:00 — Why people leaving should not surprise us03:00 — Practical ways to add humanity to departures04:30 — How personal history shapes our relationship with transition05:00 — Hattaway’s background and personal connection to leaving well06:00 — Moving, change, and learning how to say goodbye06:45 — Interim leadership, succession planning, and board development08:45 — Why succession planning matters in nonprofits09:45 — Defining what it means to leave well10:45 — Leaving a legacy through documentation12:00 — Why organizations struggle to document processes13:00 — The value of after-action reviews14:00 — Creating transition binders and archives15:45 — Where boards and leaders should begin17:30 — How to introduce succession planning without creating fear18:30 — The danger of starting from scratch after a leader leaves

0:00

39:39

Download MP3

Share at current time

Show notes

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Naomi Hattaway, founder of Leaving Well, for a timely conversation on workplace transitions, succession planning, board leadership, and what it means to leave an organization with intention.

Naomi shares why organizations often talk about hiring, growth, and vision, but avoid the harder conversations around departure, transition, termination, retirement, and succession. She explains why leaving well is not just about the person leaving. It is about protecting the mission, honoring the people, and creating continuity for the organization.

Kyle and Naomi also discuss board responsibility, documenting systems, proactive succession planning, interim leadership, and how organizations can create more humanity, clarity, and even joy in the process of transition.