Many associations have a change in leadership every year. This turnover can bring fresh ideas and renewed inspiration for the upcoming year, but it can also cause a lot of disorganization, miscommunication and overall can be a real headache if you’re not prepared.
Because leadership turnover is inevitable for so many groups, we decided to write a post on ways to not only manage that transition but what you can do to prepare for it. Check out the four tips below.
1. Clear communication
It’s likely you’ll go through a few hiccups in a leadership transition. However, if you clearly communicate to your team what is happening and when that’s happening, they’ll be better equipped to handle any road bumps. Discuss the problems you could face before you face them and come up with a plan of attack so when a problem arises, you can act in an organized manner.
2. Learn from the past
Think back to when your association underwent a change in the past – what were the roadblocks? What worked and what didn’t? “To create an effective plan, you need to know what happened during earlier change initiatives,” says Brian Usher of HR Voice. Note who was involved in the change as well. Maybe there were too many people providing input causing confusion and disorganization? Or, perhaps, the right people weren’t part of the conversation?
3. Collaborative conversations
After clearly communicating the changes happening in your organization and determining who needs to be involved in this process, open up the floor to your team for questions and ideas. By doing this, you not only show your team that you value their input but also give them the opportunity to provide solutions/ideas that you may not have considered.
4. Leader training
If your association is using any kind of software (like AMO), it’s important to train your new leaders. More often than not, we see a lot of unnecessary confusion in a transition mostly because new leaders either fail to complete onboard training or their predecessor didn’t prep them. Though it takes some time and effort, training yourself before you dive into a project can make for a much smoother start.
5. Employee support
To employees that have been with the organization for awhile, help this new leader. Fill them in on the nuances of your organization and give them guidance when needed. Be open to their ideas and strategy.
A change in leadership can be a challenging move for your group (especially for those that aren’t a fan of change); but if you establish a plan and are open and communicative with your team, it can make the transition a whole lot easier. Need help preparing for change? Give us a call today at 866-381-9951!