Taking over leadership role from someone who is leaving because they are burnt out, how to transition?

11 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 12:32PM UTC

   Be aware that this person has no incentive to spend a bunch of time transitioning. They are burned out and unhappy and possibly disgruntled.

   Have them summarize the current workload in writing, provide any key storage locations for their work product and files and any logins.

   Beyond that, their role is not to set you up for such but to hand off the basics. It will be your job to do that.

   Make sure IT gives you this person's laptop for a few weeks and saves her files to reference while you get up to speed.

   You should be able to get up to speed fairly quickly by just meeting with the team and having the outgoing leader do a high level handoff and summary.

2. AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 2:30PM UTC

   Great tips, thank you. I hadn't thought about the systems and especially file locations!

3. AnonymousMarch 13,2023 at 12:28AM UTC

   Also, you might want to ask It to make a backup of the departing employee’s system and shared file location. I had a disgruntled employee delete everything before he left., including emails.

4. Bonnie CoventryMarch 8,2023 at 12:59PM UTC

   First, and can't stress this enough, enter the new team quietly. When you meet with your departing coworker, ask the questions, 'what would you have done differently?, what has worked for you and what hasn't?, any presumptions that you made that were a mistake that I can learn from?'. Open ended questions. Steer clear of talking about the people, allow yourself to build those relationships in the role. Listen to the team, on those same questions, again steering clear of people talk. Set the tone in the beginning. Set parameters of your time to help alleviate a burnout, knowing you will have to acclimate to the position which may bring longer hours in the beginning. Then after you have a team talk, have 1 on 1 talks. See where each are at, what they are working on, what support they need and then where they want to go with their careers. If you only take the pov of the departing coworker you will miss out on some fantastic insights. What you thought you already knew as a company coworker may just be a window view, but once you're in the room you have endless opportunities for growth. Good luck and Congrats on the new position! Also, applaud the departing coworker to step back and value themselves once again. So healthy!

5. AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 2:09PM UTC

   Great insights, thank you for sharing, especially about the new team I will be working with.

6. Shelly EdwardsMarch 8,2023 at 2:32PM UTC

   I would start from a place of understanding. Ask the exiting lead if you can take them to lunch to talk about their current structure and challenges. When you have lunch, listen to their story and be understanding, even with the negatives. Any and all information is good to have even if you set aside negative feedback going in, you can still have it in the back of your mind. Then back in the office, sit with tie exiting lead a day or two to go through all existing projects and plans, plus get a sense of what they lie say looks like. Again, the more information you have the better you will be. When you take over, make a pint to meet with your team together and individually to learn who they are, their role and their workload. They will appreciate the time and interest and you’ll start out in a better path.

7. Anne R.March 8,2023 at 5:19PM UTC

   Any pertinent documentation you should have access to? Biggest challenges and also what makes the day easy. I would also want to know what has led to this burnout and unhappiness with the job and firm.

8. AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 2:17PM UTC

   I once took over after a manager left. Like you, it was a department I wasn't familiar with, but I was qualified and invigorated because it was a role I wanted. The manager had not only burned out but had run the group like a Drill Sargeant. Whenever I walked into their work area the first month, everyone thought someone would get chewed out very loudly.

   Like the previous poster, I spent time with each employee, getting to know them, and asked them about their career goals to get an idea of what each brought to the team. It was a great time, and within a couple of months, the group was no longer cowering when the "manager" walked into their area. I never met with the exiting manager, but I'm glad. I got to know the team on my terms, and they each got a fresh start with a new manager. I would not try to get any scoop on the people you will be inheriting, although that may be what they want to talk about. You will need to form your own opinions. Try to keep the meeting focused on processes, projects, and plans that are in progress and keep the personalities out of it. I learned more about the team members' personalities and group dynamics from the team than I ever would have from the exiting manager.

9. Maureen B. WeisnerMarch 12,2023 at 3:52PM UTC

   Fresh start. Avoid bitch sessions. Be curious, listen and learn before jumping headfirst into a quagmire. It sounds like there is real opportunity here for you as a leader to expand your skill-set and contribute.

10. AnonymousMarch 12,2023 at 6:05PM UTC

    If you weren’t leaving, what would you hope to accomplish in the

    next 90 days?

    Which staff member is the most high-maintenance and why?

    Are there external contacts who are key to the position?

    Are there annual or periodic activities and are they calendared?

    Is there any special software or password access that will be needed?

    Is the job description accurate?

    Are there regular meetings the person attends and are dates/times/minutes available?

11. AnonymousMarch 12,2023 at 8:09PM UTC

    I would listen to what the outgoing leader wants to share, and be discerning about what's relevant going forward given you are a different leader. I wouldn't invite their subjective opinions about the people on the team, or even about the problems (they are only one voice in the system you'll be leading), but instead would ask for specific examples and look for patterns of what's working well that should be continued and expanded for greater positive impact. I would also go in understanding that they deserve to leave in a way that doesn't burn a bridge or damage their reputation, so you may want to let them know you understand sometimes things don't work out and you won't be creating scapegoats or blaming past decisions on his leadership. if you're feeling particularly connected and/or generous, you might offer to meet again in 3 months and let him know what you noticed about the positive ripple effects of his impact while he was there.