FultonStudent Organizations:

Grooming New Leaders

Outgoing Officers

Use a Checklist

  • Organize all notebooks, binders, files and electronic document files
  • Finish all necessary correspondence
  • Develop action plans and timelines for new officer transitions
  • Provide feedback as an outgoing officer

Information to Pass On

  • People (Contact Information)
  • Outgoing officers’ contact information
  • Other student org contacts
  • ASU staff contacts (faculty, staff, advisor, Fulton folks)
  • Vendors
  • Industry contacts
  • Documentation
  • Responsibilities of each position
  • Calendars/timelines
  • Sponsorship information
  • Electronic copies of promotional tools
  • Templates for forms, letters, etc.
  • Financial documents & budgets
  • Electronic copies of all important documents (constitution, policies, procedures, etc.)
  • Login information/passwords for accounts, social media, email, etc.
  • Key activities, initiatives, & events
  • Information on past vendors used (caterers, transportation, suppliers, etc.)
  • Descriptions of past events, checklists, plans, etc.
  • Words of Wisdom
  • Mistakes you made that could have been avoided
  • Advice you wish you had before starting the position
  • Questions the new officer may have

Communicate the final details

  • Make sure space is reserved for all annual events
  • Finish up all letters, emails, & phone calls. Notify others who the new officer will be.
  • Update OrgSync
  • Email with your new officer roster
  • Make sure all your bills have been paid

Prepare the New Officers

  • Allow incoming officers to shadow outgoing officers
  • Schedule a retreat for outgoing and incoming officers to plan for the transition and mentor new officers
  • Share documents (above) with incoming officers (Google docs are a great option!)
  • Connect new officers with contacts either via email or personal meetings
  • Inform them of necessary trainings they need to attend

New Officers

Ask Questions

  • What position specific things do I want to know about?
  • What are things I should or want to do over the summer?
  • Who are other students, faculty and staff I should get to know?
  • What are resources and services I need to know about?
  • How will I work with our Faculty Advisor?
  • What are the goals of our org?
  • What expectations do I have of my fellow officers?
  • What should be done immediately in the upcoming semester?

Focus on Supporting the Team

  • Work on the morale of your group members
  • Expect any changes to be accepted gradually
  • Be available when others need your help
  • Let the group members determine the group’s purpose
  • Share the glory
  • Encourage brainstorming & creativity
  • Be sure your group has a common purpose
  • Manage conflict, don’t ignore it

Set Goals

  • Break them down. Be specific: how, when where, etc.
  • Things I want to do starting right now!
  • Things I want to get started on soon!
  • Things the outgoing officer indicated I should do right away
  • Do I have the skills necessary to accomplish my goal? Who else in my organization can help me? Outside resources and people?

Make & Implement Plans

  • Read the transition resources. Orient yourself to what the organization has been doing before you assumed the new position.
  • Mark your calendar with reasonable deadlines. Plan several months out.
  • Communicate deadlines to your team. Celebrate meeting the deadlines.
  • Clearly communicate organizational goals to your officers and members.

Tips to Remember

  • Officer terms should provide at least one month of overlap so new officers have the opportunity to shadow and learn from outgoing officers.
  • When new officers have been elected, orient them together as a group with all of the outgoing officers.
  • Make introductions to resources.
  • Recognize your outgoing officers. This could be certificates, gifts, thank you cards, etc.
  • Remember you’re human. We all mistakes. Ignoring them or hiding them won’t help your organization succeed.

Resources:

American University: Student Leader Transition Guide Montana: Student Organization Leader/Officer Transition Checklist

Villanova University: Student Organization Officer Transition Guide