MSIS DEPARTMENT

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Leadership Transitioning Implementing effective
officer transitions into your student
organization
February 8, 2006
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Has anyone been through a lousy transition?
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Why is a smooth transition important ?
Helps the incoming leaders avoid some of your
frustrations Increases the knowledge and confid
ence of the new leadership Minimizes the loss
of momentum and accomplishments of the group
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How do we do it?

• START EARLY!
• Identify the potential leaders in your
  organization
  
• Encourage these potential leaders through
  personal contact
  
• Develop skills, delegate responsibility to them
• Share with them the benefits and responsibilities
  of leadership
  
• Clarify job responsibilities

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Some specific suggestions

• Create an organizational structure to support
  leadership development
  
• Develop a mentoring program
• Develop leadership notebooks
• Create a shadowing program

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A few more points...

• Orient the new officers together with the
  outgoing officers
  
• Create a transitional Retreat
• Transfer information and materials necessary for
  them
  
• Ask outgoing officers what they wish someone had
  told them

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An effective and smooth transition entails

• Do not wait until the end on the Semester to have
  elections
  
• Let you legacy Live
• Report about traditions
• Unfinished projects
• If I knew then what I know now I would have

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Share your knowledge of the organizations
structure

• Including
• Constitution and by-laws
• Job descriptions/role classifications
• Organizational goals and objectives
• Status reports on ongoing projects
• Evaluation of previous projects and programs
• Previous minutes and reports

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More things to share

• Resources and contact lists
• Financial books and records
• Mailing lists
• Historical records, scrapbooks, equipment

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The Small Things Help

• Take them to the Frito
• Give them the key to the locker
• Teach them how to reserve rooms
• Start guiding them through the bureaucracy
• Introduce new officers
• Advisors
• the student bank
• UPO Staff

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Key Points

• START transitioning EARLY
• Create a binder of important information for the
  incoming officer
  
• Share ideas, areas for improvement, what you
  would have done differently--its best if these
  are written down
  
• Get all incoming and outgoing officers together
  at once

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QUESTIONS?

• Undergraduate Programs Office (CBA 2.400)
• www.mccombs.utexas.edu/udean/resources/studentorgs
  /
  
• Student Activities and Leadership Development
  (SALD)area of the Office of the Dean of Students
  4.104 in the Student Services Building for more
  resources on how to run your organization
  effectively
• www.deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sald