Managing Leader Transitions

By Tita Datu Puangco 

I rejoice every time I have the opportunity to do a leadership transition intervention for companies. I realize the benefits when a Mancom or Excom gets together to ensure through proper leader transition business continuity. It sensitively honors the legacy of past leadership and ushers in new  leadership that ensures new perspectives and approaches.

Recently, I had the privilege of acting as facilitator to this critical leadership challenge to a company that is leader in its industry. It  always amazes me how a series of simple questions answered and shared in sincere dialogue can increase trust. It builds the much needed bond among members who can move forward with great confidence towards the future.

I have witnessed it in a client company that is a leading institution in micro finance. The family owned institution decided to hire an experienced banker retired from a unibank. The two-day transition  workshop built a strong foundation of credibility and drove away fears and lack of confidence of the home grown officers. Since then, from the unified leadership, the institution has experienced much growth.

The training intervention has to be designed by first strengthening the bonding typical of a first stage team building exercise. Then it moves to a two-stage dialogue. The new leaders answer a set of questions guided by a consultant while the others work out answers to another set  of similar questions.

Then a sharing of answers follow with one side listening and asking questions of clarification . Then the tables turn with the other side sharing answers and enter retaining questions.

The session then concludes with norm sharing and a listing  of next steps. I realize creating a risk free environment where people can express their thoughts freely and candidly with consideration result in a windfall of goodwill for everyone. If any of our readers want sample questions, I would gladly share.

The opposite is true. A fast growing company was greatly hampered by cliques among the leaders, the clique of the old , the clique of the new and a number of leaders caught in between the politics of the two cliques. Leadership however refuses to see the need to confront the situation. Little by little resignations started to happen as the environment inside the company has become a contest poisoning the environment, discouraging talented employees from remaining and productivity remaining at low levels.

My learning, handling leader transitions result in big gains for an enterprise.