Managing a
Presidential Transition
FOCUS
George Mason University
November 8, 2011
Larry Goldstein
President, Campus Strategies, LLC
November 8, 2011
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Agenda
Facilitating the transition of a departing
president
Facilitating the transition of an incoming
president
Q
Questions,
i
comments, andd reactions
i
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Departing President’s
President s
Transition
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Transition Manager
Chosen by president
president, possibly with input from
board chair (or designee)
Serves many roles
– Confidant / Advisor
– Facilitator / Negotiator / Arbiter
– Communicator / Manager
g of Rumor Mill
– Steward
– Conscientious
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#1 Preventable Problem
Media attention on president
president’ss residence—
residence
especially when deemed to be extravagant!
As soon as president communicates decision to
leave—even before formal announcement
– Conduct
C d a condition
di i assessment off house
h
– Complete all repairs immediately (while no
one’s paying attention)
– Defer cosmetics until new p
president arrives
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Transition Team
Established by president and transition manager
with input from cabinet
Transition manager chairs the group
Responsibilities include
– Development of communication plan
– Coordinates celebratory
y events
– Plans for installation of new president
– Develops learning network for new president
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Culminating Agenda
President, board chair,
President
chair and transition manager
determine whether the president will tackle
any major challenges during the transition
period
If it
it’ss been a positive tenure,
tenure president may be
willing to tackle major issue(s) during
transition
Keep it manageable—care must be taken to
ensure it’s
i ’ feasible
f ibl to avoid
id tarnishing
i hi legacy
l
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Develop Communication Plan
1 Preplanning
1.
Preplanning—develop
develop the search strategy
strategy,
2.
3.
4.
5.
select search committee chair, address interim
presidency if applicable,
applicable set expectations
Formal announcement
O
Open
fforum
Announce the search
Name the transition team…
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Develop Communication Plan (contd.)
(contd )
6 Periodic updates on search
6.
7. Periodic updates on transition
8. Announce
A
the
h new president
id
9. Develop profiles of the outgoing and
incoming presidents (e.g., magazine quality)
10. Installation planning
p
g
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Board / Staff Connections
Board chair (or designee) must establish
relationship to transition team, especially
transition manager
Individual interviews with senior leaders to
assess their plans for the future
Ongoing contact throughout the process
Maintains connection to senior leadership team
through the transition manager
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Strategic Audit
Written report identifying institutional
strengths and weaknesses
Drills beyond self-studies / traditional briefing
books
Purpose is to inform next president of what he
or she will inherit
Developed from results of anonymous survey
of key institutional stakeholders
Should be shared with search committee
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Future Challenges Report
Supplements strategic audit report
Informs the board and search committee of
what the new president is likely to face and the
skills he or she will need
I f
Informed
d by
b a broad
b d range off stakeholders
k h ld
through facilitated listening sessions
Consider using Future Timeline design with
intact and diverse stakeholder groups
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Relationship Map
Written document focused on president
president’ss key
relationships
Developed with participation by cabinet
members and others (e.g., board chair,
executive assistant) with whom president
interacts regularly
R l i hi are assigned
Relationships
i d to key
k constituents
i
to ensure the ball doesn’t drop between
d
departing
i andd incoming
i
i president
id
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Search / Transition Updates
Periodic written—and
written and face-to-face—updates
face-to-face updates
from the transition team to the community
– Identify the team members as well as the
search committee members
– Describe
D
ib the
h search
h process
– Announce priorities to be addressed during
the transition period
– Report
p on celebratoryy events
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Outgoing / Incoming
Presidents’ Relationship
Critically sensitive issue
Outgoing president—whether moving on or
staying at institution—can
institution can impact successor’s
effectiveness
I
Incoming
i president
id may have
h
strong feelings
f li
about what he or she wants / needs to do
b f
before
officially
ffi i ll beginning
b i i presidency
id
Transition manager must facilitate—may need
board chair or search committee chair as well
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President’s
President s Future Role
Staying or leaving
If leaving, not a significant challenge
Iff staying,
i
in
i what
h capacity?
i ?
– Faculty
– Chancellor
– Fund-raiser
Fund raiser
– Private citizen
M agree on ddo’s
Must
’ / do-not’s
d
’
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Questions?
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Incoming President
President’ss
Transition
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Develop Relationship
With President
Ideally should start with finalists during search
process
Most important responsibility is to tell the
candidates the truth about the institution
D li
Delicate
situation
i
i but
b researchh shows
h
that
h
search committees do not inform candidates of
all
ll the
h “ghosts”
“ h
”
– Even when a strategic audit / future
challenges report is prepared
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President’s
President s Residence
Create opportunity for walkthrough with
president and additional occupants
Identify cosmetic preferences
Schedule any redecorating
Develop communication strategy for any
major renovation needed
– ADA accommodation
– Upgrades to existing systems
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Offsite Retreat
Very early in president
president’ss tenure
tenure, if not before
official start date
One to two days in duration
Outside facilitation
Participants should include senior staff and
president’s support staff
Begin building relationships, establish working
pprotocols,, agree
g on initial ppriorities,, etc.
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Senior Leadership Team
Disruptive when turnover hits during transition
Ideally all members are competent
– Or,
O if not, any problems
bl
were addressed
dd
d
during transition
More likely there are some challenges
New ppresident should delay
y action during
g first
year
Avoid bringing in former colleagues
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First Year
Ensure president is on campus and visible
visible,
especially during first six months
Needs to establish presence and become
known to campus and the community
– Advancement
Ad
t and
d governmentt relations
l ti
will
ill
object to this and want to schedule president
f significant
for
i ifi t travel
t
l to
t state
t t offices
ffi
andd
alumni outposts
Must be resisted!
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Strategic Planning
Typically board will want president to embark
on strategic planning immediately
Or want him or her to share vision
Best approach is to defer this until the
president
id has
h had
h d opportunity
i to get to know
k
the institution
Ideally there is an existing plan and president
should commit to it for the first year
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Learning Network
Establish a Learning Network
– Transition team, with senior leadership,
identifies the group that will help educate
the president about the institution’s history,
complexities challenges,
complexities,
challenges ghosts
ghosts, etc
etc.
– Approximately 15 to 20 knowledgeable
community
i members
b willing
illi to meet
individually to get the president up to speed
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Listening / Learning Tour
President should schedule time with all major
established campus / local community groups
– Faculty senate,
senate student government,
government staff
council, etc.
– Alumni board
board, development board
board, athletics
boosters, etc.
– Local
L l government, community
i groups, etc.
Focus should be on listening and learning
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Educate the President
In addition to cultural education that occurs
through learning network and listening tour,
new president needs to be educated about
operating environment
– Conflicts of interest policies
– Financial / procurement policies
– Budgetary practices
– Open records / open meetings
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Early Activities
First-day informal meet-and-greet
New student orientation
C
Convocation
i
As many department visits as possible,
especially academic departments
– May
y be nothingg more than a walkthrough
g
Show up at events—as much as practical given
institutional size
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Managing a
Presidential Transition
Questions, Comments,
and Reactions
[email protected]
540.942.9146
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