“A smooth transition is the responsibility of both the outgoing and incoming members of an organization, working closely with the advisor. Successfully transitioning your club acts as a means to provide training for new officers, closure for outgoing leaders, and helps the organization maintain consistency from year to year”.
Tips for Smooth Transition
Why is transitioning important?
- Gives an opportunity to transfer important organizational information/knowledge to incoming officers
- Allows new officers to start from where the previous leaders left
- Helps them to learn some of the special skills of the outgoing leaders
- Avoids confusion of leadership change among members
- Reduces loss of energy, action and accomplishment of the club
- Provides a sense of continuity and stability among the members
- Boosts up the new officers’ confidence
- Gives a sense of achievement and closure to the outgoing officers
How do I transition new officers?
- Look out for potential leaders in your organization early on
- Encourage them to be involved in the club through personal contact
- Share with them the benefits of leadership
- Help them develop the necessary skills to be effective leaders
- Delegate responsibilities to them
- Hold election about a month before the term of the existing officers ends
- This gives ample time to transfer knowledge to the incoming officers
- Hold orientation for the new officers so they understand their roles
- Explain them about their job responsibilities
- Hold informal meetings between the incoming and outgoing officers so they can transfer the knowledge and information they have about the club
- Give them files, manuals, policies that will help them to function properly
- Share with them reports containing completed projects, continuing projects and projects the club wants to do in the future
- Make sure you hand them a balanced account book
- Tell them about the accounts the club has in school and how much money you have in there
- Give them receipts, invoices that will help them understand how the club’s budget was used
- Tell the new officers about the club’s tradition
- Acquaint them with the club’s office (if you have one), supplies and equipments
- Introduce them to advisors, CSOLD staff and other student organizations the club works with frequently
