Officer Transition: The process through which the incoming and outgoing officers provide an opportunity for training new officers, ensure closure for outgoing officers, and help the organization maintain consistency from year to year.

As outgoing officers, some questions that might arise as you leave office are:

Your year is coming to an end...
• How do you leave your position gracefully?
• How do you ensure that new officers are ready to continue to provide your organization with strong leadership?

As an incoming officer here are some questions you might be asking yourself:

You are a newly elected officer...
• What do you need to know to be effective in your new role?
• How do I hit the ground running?

A successful officer transition plan includes the following components: The responsibility of both the outgoing and incoming officers. A way to help the group avoid starting over from scratch each year. A transfer of significant organizational knowledge. A way to minimize the confusion of leadership changeover. A way to give outgoing leaders a sense of closure. A great opportunity for outgoing leaders to evaluate the year. An orientation process for new leaders.

Think back to your first few weeks as an officer. What could you have used to do your job better? Were there things that should’ve been easy, but may have been difficult or turned in to a nightmare? Here are some suggestions to ease that transition. Complete either the outgoing or incoming officer review, whichever applies to you. Discuss your answers in Meeting 1. Another suggestion to ease the transition is to discuss when meetings were held with various groups throughout the previous year. The groups that you should plan to hold meetings with on a regular basis include meetings with the incoming officers, committee meetings, area council meetings, and meetings with your advisor. Lastly, review the officer transition checklist in detail with your incoming officer. This is vital for your success.

What do you need to transfer?

Outgoing/Incoming Officer Reviews
-complete your respective survey
-discuss your answers

Meeting Schedules
-committee meetings
-area council meetings
-advisor meetings

Officer Transition Checklist
-review in detail

Meetings

Holding a minimum of three key meetings is essential to ease the transition process. Meeting 1 includes the outgoing and incoming officers; in this meeting they will discuss topics such as the calendar, resources, finances and budget, events, meetings, organizations, and recruitment. Meeting 2 is a chance for all of the incoming officers to meet and create goals for the upcoming year as well as brainstorm ideas for events. Meeting 3 is more informal. This does not have to be held in a formal location. This meeting could be held over the phone or via email. It is a chance for the incoming officer to follow up with any questions or concerns they might have.

Mminimum of three meetings:
1. Outgoing and Incoming Officers
2. Incoming Officers
3. Outgoing and Incoming Officers

Meeting 1

This is an opportunity for the incoming and outgoing officers to meet and discuss details using the officer transition checklist as well as discuss the incoming and outgoing officer review sheets. Here is a suggested list of categories that should be discussed during meeting:

• Job responsibilities
• Calendar
• Resources
• Finances and Budget
• Events
• Meetings and Organization
• Recruitment

Job Responsibilities

This is an opportunity for the incoming officer to clarify any questions they have about what the main job responsibilities are of their new position. They should have a detailed understanding of what is required and expected of them. Additionally, the outgoing officer should provide and discuss the end of semester evaluations for the incoming officer.

Calendar

The outgoing officer should discuss busy times, down times, and things they would have scheduled differently. Both of the officers should discuss how to effectively plan the schedule for the upcoming year in addition to penciling in ideas for events. For the outgoing executive officers, this has already been done.

Resources

By being aware of the available resources, incoming officers could feel more comfortable with their transition. Important resources to introduce are: the shepherd union staff, which includes the info desk personnel, and the set-up crew, the student involvement and leadership office staff and advisors, the scheduling office staff, and any academic departments they might not be familiar with.

Finances/Budget

It is extremely important for you to know your budget for the upcoming year. This will help you budget each event properly. Additionally, one commonly asked question is what is the amount you can spend on food for an event in order to get petty cash reimbursement. Also, make sure you ask if there are any events that have been paid for already.

Events

Review past and future organization events…
• Which events were successful & should be repeated?
• Which events were unsuccessful? Why?
• When should planning start for each event?

Meetings/Organization

Some important questions…
• When were meetings held?
• What times generally work?
• What is a typical week like?
• What were the most and least challenging experiences?

Recruitment

Some things to discuss…
• What did your organization do to recruit? Results?
• Why did new members stay/leave?

Meeting 2

Use Meeting 2 as an opportunity to get to know the other new officers and plan goals for the upcoming year. Make clear goals and delegate responsibility among the incoming officers. Fill out incoming officer review.

Incoming Officers will need to:
• Brainstorm
• Set goals
• Review calendar for upcoming year
• Delegate responsibility

Meeting 3

This meeting can take place over a telephone conversation or via email. Based on Meeting 2, are there any unresolved issues or certain items that you need more information about? What are your plans/goals? Ask the outgoing officers if you can contact them throughout the upcoming year with any questions or concerns.

This is a chance to:
• Ask final questions
• Follow up on unresolved issues from Meeting 2
• Ask the outgoing officer if you can contact them throughout the upcoming year

 

Contact Information

Student Involvement & Leadership Office:
Shepherd Union Building Room 301
Phone: 801-626-6349
Website: www.weber.edu/studentinvolvement

List of Forms

For an electronic copy of these forms you can visit the student involvement and leadership website.

• Incoming Officer Review
• Outgoing Officer Review
• Officer transition checklist