Most organizations recognize that board succession planning is important. But, sometimes even with succession plans in place, many boards don’t actually understand where their critical board gaps exist until it’s too late. 

The key to avoiding surprises on your board is knowing where you may have gaps before transitions occur. In this article, we’ll explore how organizations can identify and address these gaps before it’s too late!

Start by Mapping Critical Board Competencies

You can’t identify gaps without knowing what skills your board needs. This is why effective board succession planning starts with a clear competency framework.

What skills, perspectives, and expertise does your board need to govern effectively? This often includes things such as: financial oversight, industry knowledge, regulatory expertise, strategic planning, etc. Every organization’s competency framework will be different, since it should align specifically with your organization’s strategic goals and governance responsibilities.

Once you have this framework in place, assess your current board composition against the competencies. Where do you have strength and where is your board falling short? This exercise quickly reveals which competencies would be at the biggest risk if certain board members were to leave.

Assess Board Member Anticipated Departures

Board gaps aren’t just about missing competencies. They’re also about the timing of and readiness for board transitions.

Take a look at your current board composition. How many directors are nearing retirement age or have indicated they may not seek reappointment? If you have term/age limits, how many members are approaching their limits? Are there board members who anticipate leaving soon that hold multiple critical roles or committee leadership positions that would be difficult to replace quickly?

Understanding each board member’s likely timeline helps you anticipate where gaps may emerge. This insight allows you to plan development and recruitment efforts well in advance, rather than scrambling to fill a gap when a vacancy occurs.

Identify Risks in Future Board Leadership Positions

Board succession planning is also about planning for key leadership positions within the board. These roles can include: board chair, vice chair, treasurer, and committee chairs.

These roles require not only specific competencies but also higher institutional knowledge and governance experience. When these positions turn over without a clear succession plan, the impact can disrupt board effectiveness and organizational continuity.

Ask yourself: if your board chair stepped down tomorrow, would any other board members be ready to step into that role? Do you have someone who understands the organization’s history, has the respect of fellow board members, and possesses the leadership skills required? If the answer isn’t immediately clear, you’ve identified a gap.

Don’t Wait Until Vacancies Occur

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is treating board succession planning as reactive rather than proactive. The best practice is to conduct regular board gap analyses, ideally on an annual basis or whenever organizational strategy shifts significantly. 

Proactive gap identification gives you time to develop current directors for board leadership roles, recruit strategically, and onboard new board members thoughtfully rather than rushing to fill seats.

Use Technology to Track and Manage Board Gaps and Succession Planning

Identifying board gaps manually through spreadsheets and informal discussions often leads to incomplete or outdated information. The right technology can provide a clear, centralized view of your board’s competencies, anticipated departures, and gaps.

With a purpose-built succession planning platform, you can easily visualize where your board has strength and where risks exist. SUCCESSIONapp® provides organizations with the tools they need to identify and track board gaps effectively. The platform allows you to assess each board member against your competency framework, monitor term limits and board member’s anticipated departures, and get a complete picture of your board’s bench strength.This centralized approach ensures that board succession planning stays on track and evolves as your board composition and organizational needs change.

Closing Thoughts

Understanding where your board may have gaps is the foundation of effective board succession planning. Without this clarity, organizations risk being caught off guard by transitions and struggling to maintain governance continuity.

By mapping competencies, assessing tenure and readiness, identifying leadership succession risks, and conducting regular gap analyses, your organization can stay ahead of board transitions, rather than reacting to them.If you’re ready to take a more strategic approach to board succession planning in 2026 and beyond, sign up for a demo to see how SUCCESSIONapp® can help your organization simplify the board succession planning process.