We have just had a change in leadership. We area a small group of four faculty. What steps can we take to facilitate an orderly transition? Are there any known pitfalls in leadership transition?-Donna R. Weston, PhD, Center on Infant Mental Health and Development, University of Washington
Ideally, you should plan an offsite meeting (and I really mean offsite!) for at least a day to accomplish the following goals:
(1) Get to know each other better as people so that you can work together more effectively. Create an open forum to discuss how you work best, the type of work you love to do, what you want to do more of, what you want to do less of, two things that make you smile, and two things sure to make you angry. Other fun team building activities will also help the you connect with each other.
(2) Revisit department goals and values to make sure everyone is in alignment. This will give you a chance to surface any potential conflict so that you can address it and move forward as a cohesive team.
(3) Establish priorities and accountability. Once you have agreed on the department's goals, how will you accomplish them? What resources and support are needed? Most importantly, who will do what and by when? Be sure to establish a mechanism to follow up on commitments.
Pitfalls in leadership transition happen when new leaders don't take the time to do the above activities and learn from existing team members. A "takeover' mentality will only alienate team members, resulting in suboptimal performance and increased turnover.
Post a Comment
