Have you just taken a leadership position or taken over a business? Congratulations! But be careful not to get your feet wet… Our advice for a successful handover.
You are now the head of a department or a company, and you are not sure how to establish your new power without undermining the work done by your predecessor.
Taking up a new position, which is accompanied by a period of mandatory “tuilage”, is certainly often delicate. For the person arriving, as well as the person leaving. We often see a confrontation of egos. This is followed by a guerrilla war that goes against the interests of each party and, above all, against the general interest, i.e. the company and the teams in place.
What are the right postures to adopt?
Postures to adopt when taking over a position
Respect the 90 day timing.
Ifa job or company handover is almost always associated with the famous “90 days” period, it is precisely because this isa decisive “cohabitation” phase during which successful internal communication is essential. The time needed to observe, listen, discover the interplay between the players… And this in order to be able to make better decisions afterwards, to win everyone’s support more easily, and to value what has been done before you.
Co-construct an action plan with your predecessor.
With the information and experience of your predecessor, you will obtain the expected results more quickly. You will thus apprehend your function in the best possible conditions. By laying the foundations of respect for past achievements, by adopting the realism required by the present situation, and by sowing the seeds of your future success. These are all strengths that your employees will be able to rely on and that will give you credibility.
Write a "report of surprise".
This report is built up over time. As long as you have fresh eyes, it is valuable in taking a step back and assessing the trial period after a few months…
The posture of the person passing the baton.
You are leaving, so adopt the appropriate behavior by "clearing the decks" from the first day (clear your desk, for example), but of course accompanying the transition with kindness and generosity. Towards the teams, for whom you can remain in support for a variable length of time depending on the nature of the position or the company takeover (generally between two and six months). And towards your successor, whose takeover you must facilitate by confirming your choice in front of the teams or clients, who could naturally have doubts if your expertise, personality or values are different. And by introducing him/her to your ecosystem.
Postures to avoid
The first mistake is to want to assert your power right away, and in every direction! You have just arrived and, by definition, do not yet know the company, its organization, your position, your teams, or even your clients perfectly. Immediately removing the former “titleholder” from all decisions or information means depriving yourself of the person who holds a lot of valuable information and has often gained the trust of customers, partners and teams. A “colonialist” attitude that can have serious consequences…
Another trap is confusing speed with haste. Your desire, or perhaps even the orders of your management, encourages you to act quickly. Understandable. But don’t neglect the “time” factor. The quality of the relationships built by your predecessor was built over time, so they cannot be passed on so quickly. Gaining the trust of employees and customers is also built over time…
Inconclusion?
Give time to time, respecting each person in his or her new role, what has been done by the person leaving, as well as the new orientations of the person arriving. Take the time to build by gaining the trust of your teams and clients.
In short, show empathy, an essential quality for any leader, and beware of the engine that could lead you to make the wrong choices: pride, or its counterpart, lack of confidence.
