This week we said, "See you later," to a fantastic program manager, Alycia Inserra. She and her husband, Paul, are opening up a restaurant at Southpoint Mall called American Meltdown. They have been running a successful food truck business for a few years. Alycia and Paul have made the decision to have Alycia manage the restaurant and thus, she has decided to leave her position here at the School of Government. I'm sad to see Alycia go, but I'm excited for her and Paul (and their little girl Finley) to embark on this fantastic opportunity.
People come and go in organizations and that can make things tough (at least for a time). Losing a quality employee can make you feel like you have a hole in your staff that needs to be filled. On the other hand, it can be a fantastic opportunity to recruit someone with a fresh perspective, that can help the organization grow, and can improve processes that you didn't even know were broken.
In a time of transition it's important to have a plan. Luckily, we have a team of 11 people that make events happen at the School. Some of us have taken on additional programs both temporarily and permanently, and others are providing support. We also hired a temp to help us during the transition as we find someone permanent to fill Alycia's shoes. Here's my recommendations for transitioning.
Get Organized
I recommend that you itemize the things that must get done and the things that can wait. This will show you exactly what has to be covered. Once you have that information you can decide if you need to have a speedy hiring process, hire a temp, or divide the tasks to existing employees. In our case, we have a done a little bit of everything.
Think about change
Be thoughtful about the job description. Does it need to be re-written? What are the strengths the previous person brought to the table? Will these be essential for the next person you hire?Are there skills you wish your next employee would have? It's important to keep an open mind about where the position will go next.
Maintaining business as usual
When you create a plan during a transition it would be amazing to have the ability to maintain the same level of service you have been providing. While I think this is an important goal, it might not be realistic. Evaluate if you will have to cut back during a transitional period. If you are able to maintain the same level of service, perhaps it's time to evaluate if your team can be doing more.
Communicate
Keep all the people affected by the transition aware of where you are in the process. Will you have a temp in place and when? Will the events that the previous person was working on have any delays? Do they need to be moved to other people? Who should people turn to when they need help planning their upcoming events? What is the timeline to have someone new in place? What level of service are you expecting to provide during the transition? Adjusting expectations can save you a lot of headache in the long run.
What other tips do you have when transitioning at work? Have you been through a smooth transition or a difficult one? I want to hear from you! Send me a message at: eventssimplifieddr@gmail.com.