Linda Forlini
In March 2024, retired ticketing professional Linda Forlini conducted a webinar on the subject of leadership succession planning for the Ontario Professional Ticketing Association (OPTA). This was a topic Forlini became an authority on late in her career. Her last two positions before retiring in 2020 were as Vice President of Ticket Operations at the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center in New York City and then with the Kimmel Center and the Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia. In both cases, she gave them years notice that she would be stepping away. Although she exited earlier than expected from the former as she was head-hunted by the Kimmel Center, she still did her best to make sure business as normal would be maintained.
In her recent OPTA workshop, she said that the biggest lesson learned with regards to succession planning is a basic one. “Be honest!” This means being honest with oneself and one’s employer. She says, “You need to be honest about your intentions to retire or leave the organization and, depending on your responsibilities, give the organization enough notice. This could be a traumatic decision for you and, once you make it, you should not go back on this decision.”
With regards to being honest and upfront with your employer, Forlini says, “The more they know, the better prepared they can be for a change in leadership. I was fortunate that my employers worked with me, and they were open to the transition and felt part of it instead of playing catch up. Honesty with your team is also essential. They will go through stages of fear — fear of change, fear of losing their job, just fear. It is a natural human emotion. You can prepare them for this change and your process going forward to look for a replacement, whether inside the organization or outside the organization. When they understand the process, they will be part of it, and that is the best way to move on!”
Indeed, some soon-to-be former colleagues may end up being part of the review process or interview process. “Let them know the type of person the organization is looking to hire and why,” Forlini says. “They can anticipate change and make an educated decision if they want to continue to be part of the team or not.”
Most organizations in the ticketing and live events space will hire according to what a Long Range Strategic Plan (or LRSP) requires and what the organization needs. “You hire for the skills,” she says. “I do not think our industry is really any different than any other.”
With succession planning, there can be both the desire to pick a successor who will keep the venue/organization on the path it is currently on, but also one who will move operations in completely new directions. Where can and should that balance be found? Forlini was quick to respond: “That is the organizational leadership’s responsibility in concert with you to lay out what is in your LRSP — what are the needs of the department currently and in the next five years, which is the traditional time frame for an organization's LRSP.” Questions to ponder range from “What changes are on the horizon?” to “Are you going to look for a new ticketing system?” to “Do you need to initiate customer service training or keep the status quo?”
Another crucial step is assessing the staff as it is currently constituted. Are they being utilized to their fullest capacity? And is there clearly a “shining star” that the organization should promote and/or give additional responsibilities to see how they handle the pressure.”
Of course, when called on to help select a successor, there may be a natural urge to look for and even champion someone who you see a lot of yourself in. Is there a danger or risk in that? Forlini chuckled at the query. “A loaded question!” she exclaimed. “You certainly want to think that you are the best person they ever had in your job, and it is human to want to emulate yourself. But you need to think beyond you and your capabilities and consider the needs of your organization and your team.”
She went on to state that the best advice she would have for anyone embarking on the process is to “be prepared. Meet, discuss, map out the process, and engage an internal team to help you with the process. Talk with your team as a group to enable frank discussions and then meet with anyone who wants to talk about it and be honest with them. It will take more time than you think. It will be more costly than you think, and it will be harder than you think. But when you find the right person who will mesh with the organizational culture, it is the most rewarding thing you will do.”
It also may be the last professional job you ever do. Forlini concludes, “If the organization is taking the time to search for a successor for you, it would behoove them to turn the tables on the leadership team and do the same process of looking inward or outward for the best person for the job. This is not an easy exercise. A 360° look at yourself is hard, but necessary for the process.”
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