1. Officer Transition Workshop
Chris Rindosh

2. Purpose of this workshop
Help organizations set themselves up for a successful next year
Not making your next set of officers start over from square one
Collecting/imparting important organization documents from one executive board to the next
Encourage a meeting between incoming/outgoing officers to discuss transition (and a framework for that conversation)
Building confidence of current members to take on leadership roles

3. Five Critical Steps for ensuring a successful transition
Identifying potential leaders
Encouraging those students
Giving them the tools to succeed
Having a successful election
Remaining a resource throughout the transition process

4. Identifying Potential Leaders
What are the qualities you would look for in someone trying to take over your position when you leave?
Identifying Potential Leaders

5. Encouragement
Plan A:
Make it known well in advance that you want the organization to succeed after you are gone
Tell members early in the semester to start thinking about if they would be interested in stepping up
Plan B:
Approach members early
Express your confidence in them
Having someone believe in you
Get them connected
Projects/Events
Building a personal relationship
Take them out to lunch
Make sure this is something that THEY want

6. A word of caution…
The person you want to take on the position may not win the election
Your role is to prepare potential leaders, not pick the next one
Remember that the goal is to ensure that the organization succeeds

7. Tools to Succeed Shadowing Exposure to executive board meeting(s)
1:1 Conversations
Tiger Stripes/Budgeting information
Transition Binder

8. Transition Binder – Things to include
Major job responsibilities of the position
Reflections on your personal experience with the position
What are the hardest parts?
What are things you wish you knew when you first started?
Any important documents for the past year/next year
IE: Budget information, marketing documents, etc.
Any important contact information for vendors, campus administrators, etc… that your club works with who they should know
Timelines/resources for any major recurring events your organization plans
Past meeting agendas/minutes
Digitize/SAVE everything (preferably ed directly to them AND saved on under your group’s documents section)
This will make it easy for whoever comes after you to update/edit instead of starting from scratch

9. Transition Binder (Example)

10. Transition Binder (Continued)

11. Who feels their predecessor did a great job in training you for your position? What were some of the things they said/did that were helpful?

12. Elections Start early – Figure out dates with your exec board now
Advertise dates to members well in advance
Encourage students to run
Check your group’s constitution
Give an opportunity for students to express why they would be good candidates
Have a plan for how the vote is going to happen
Paper Ballot
Have someone neutral administer the election

13. After the election… hold a transition meeting
Meeting between outgoing officers, incoming officers and advisor
Talk about major challenges the organization faced over the past year
Goals that you completed
Things left unfinished
Answering questions
Going through transition materials
Assuaging fears/anxiety
Goal setting
Advisor

14. Start thinking about…
What was one goal you had for your position this year that never materialized that you would still like to see happen in the future of your organization?
What was one program or idea that really worked well for your organization this year that you would like to see repeated or expanded upon in the future? Do you have any specific suggestions how your successor can expand this program?
What is the most challenging part of your position and what would you recommend to your successor in confronting that challenge?
How do you feel your organization has grown this year (has it?)? Where do you see this group moving in the future?

15. Past workshop question guide
Outgoing e-board members – What was one goal you had for your position this year that never materialized that you would still like to see happen in the future of your organization?
Incoming e-board members – What is one thing coming into this position that you would like to accomplish either for yourself or the organization over the next year?
Outgoing e-board members – What was one program or idea that really worked well for your organization this year that you would like to see repeated or expanded upon in the future? Do you have any specific suggestions how your successor can expand this program?
Incoming e-board members – What did you think went really well within the organization this past year? How do you see yourself picking up where the outgoing members left off?
Outgoing e-board members – What is the most challenging part of your position and what would you recommend to your successor in confronting that challenge?
Incoming e-board members – What are you most nervous about in taking up this position?
(For both outgoing/incoming) How do you feel your organization has grown this year (has it?)? Where do you see this group moving in the future?

16. Advisor
Can play a critical role in continuity of an organization from year to year
Keeper of transition materials
Provide guidance to new executive board members while they are “finding their footing”
Encourage new exec members to set expectations with advisor
Advisor checklist

17.
Switch over primary contact information to new president
Ensures they are getting important updates related to student organizations
Tiger Stripes/Budgeting/Involvement Fair registration etc…
Get’s you out of receiving messages after you graduate
Reregistration will open at the end of this semester, but you do not need to wait
At any point you can change this information as the current primary contact for the group

18. Remaining a resource for your group
Provide your contact information
The first few months are the hardest
Clutch transition binder
Phone calls when difficulties arise
Personal advisor/mentor
After a while…
All a part of the student organization circle of life

19. Questions?