ssdp leadership webinar: leadership transition
DESCRIPTION
How to properly transition your chapter leadershipTRANSCRIPT
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