Leadership Webinar Series Part 3Passing the Torch: Leadership Transition

with Drew Stromberg and Devon Tackels SSDP Outreach Coordinators

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Passing the Torch

• Transitioning your chapter leadership can be one of the most difficult obstacles you will encounter in the process of keeping your SSDP chapter active, but it doesn't have to be!

• This guide will provide helpful tips, steps to take, questions to ask, and other useful information that will help you sustain your chapter and transition leadership smoothly.

Tuesday, August 7, 12

The Importance of a Good Transition

• Why an effective transition period is so important:– Continues legacy of group– Confident, knowledgeable, productive– Turnover causes confusion– Sense of accomplishment and closure– Experience and insight – Maintain momentum and accomplishment

Tuesday, August 7, 12

When To Start

• When Do You Start?... Early! • Begin early in the year• Encourage potential leaders through

personal contact; • help in developing skills• delegating responsibility to them• sharing with them personal benefits

of leadership• clarifying job responsibilities

• This workshop will give you ideas to ensure the transition occurs as smoothly as possible.

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Transition Checklist

Create/update Transition Binder throughout the year. Organize your office, materials, thoughts, etc. Finish all correspondence. Prepare an end-of-the-year report incorporating the

organization’s goals, activities, and accomplishments. Identify areas of responsibility, people, details, phone

numbers, etc. Review constitution, bylaws, written material, and goals

and outline any areas needing attention or revision. Orient new officers together as a group with all of the

outgoing officers. Make introductions to resources. Do not “drop off the edge of the earth” – be available for

consultation.

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Preparing a Transition Binder

The best leaders create a transition binder or document for their upcoming officers

Ideally, this covers all aspects of officer responsibilities and how those tasks fit into the organization’s big picture.

Recommend that the new officers file “historical” documents in the binder (e.g., meeting minutes).

Use the binder as a “working document” rather than something to be completed at the end of the year.

This can also be a digital document that is stored online

Tuesday, August 7, 12

What goes in this binder?• Sections:

• Introduction• Membership Info• SSDP National Contact Info• Leadership Role/Responsibility

• Officer Positions/Contact• Meeting Agendas and Minutes• Important emails, letters, etc• SSDP Task Delegation sheets • Bylaws • Special Events• Publications and Newsletters • Contacts• Transition Information• Calendar• Miscellaneous Information• Budget

• Fundraising• Receipts • Budget Record

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Organize Materials

• Make sure to organize all materials and turn them over to knew leadership

• This includes:

• Transition Binder

• Any Important Documents

• Account Logins and Passwords

• Tabling Supplies

- Stickers, brochures, etc

- Banners, Tablecloth, and Table

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Make Sure All Contact Info is Up-to-Date

• Submit up-to-date chapter roster with SSDP National Staff Member

• Make sure university administration has new leadership contact info

• Make sure to leave your contact info for questions or advising purposes

• Update facebook page, website, and other online resources with new contact info

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Prepare End-of-Semester Report

• Put together a report for incoming officers including:

• Organizational Goals

• Activities

• Accomplishments

• Failures

• Words of wisdom

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Officer Training and Orientation

• Training new chapter officers is very important to transition success

• Provide some form of officer training to incoming officers

• Allow new leadership to “shadow” outgoing officers after chapter elections

• Allow them to ask questions and provide them with feedback

• Walk them through your weekly routine

• If possible, plan officer retreat where new officers can meet and spend time team building together

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Finish All Correspondenceand Share Resources

• Make sure you follow-up and finish all email and phone correspondence prior to departure

• Transition chapter email, facebook, twitter, and website accounts

• Introduce new chapter president to all on campus resources and allies

• Connect new leadership with SSDP Outreach Staff Member

• Submit up to date chapter roster to SSDP National Office

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Stay in Touch

• Don’t fall off the planet!

• Be sure to advise new leadership when the time comes

• Become available for questions and guidance

• Stay connected to your chapter

• Conduct timely check-ins and offer help

• Make sure to be included on chapter emails and updates

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Benefits to Our Model• Allows a transfer of significant organizational

knowledge• Minimizes the confusion • Gives outgoing leaders a sense of closure• Utilizes the valuable contributions of experienced

leaders• Increases the knowledge and confidence of the

new leadership• Minimizes the loss of momentum and

accomplishment for the group

Tuesday, August 7, 12

Additional Transition Resources

• Chapter Transition Worksheet: http://www.virginia.edu/fsl/documents/Officer%20Transition%20Worksheets.pdf

• Full Leadership Checklist Documenthttp://www.rochester.edu/college/rccl/assets/pdf/LeadershipTransitionChecklist.pdf

• Officer Transition Training Document http://www.odos.uiuc.edu/greek/resources/downloads/officerTransition.pdf

Tuesday, August 7, 12