Leadership Transition Planning | Bellingham Public Schools Edition
Drawn from research on changes in executive leadership and the experience of leaders in our own
system, the following document aims to provide guidance on leadership transition planning for both
school and district administrators. This planning complements the district’s strong commitment to entry
plans as part of an incoming leader’s onboarding process. Given the intersection between exit and entry
planning, it is important to pay attention to the specific roles and responsibilities of the outgoing leader
and the incoming leader and their shared responsibilities (as well as the responsibilities of the supervisor
and organization).
Roles and Responsibilities (new and improved!)
Outgoing Leader
Outgoing + Incoming
Incoming Leader
Supervisor /
Organization
 Responsible for providing
adequate time to meet
the newcomer
 Identify areas for
effective job knowledge
transfer
 Help identify important
stakeholders to include in
entry plan interviews
(and any guidance on
what incoming might
gain)
 Schedule opportunities
for incoming to meet
stakeholders (staff,
parents)
 Provide immediate space
for new leader to lead
 Take responsibility for
action items related to
wrapping up current year
 Adjust to needs/desires
of incoming leader with
respect to knowledge
transfer/opinion
 Be willing to accept
responsibility for
challenges incoming
leader faces
 Meet as equals and
understand that
each is going
through a transition
 Begin with belief
that open exchange
will benefit the
organization
 Talk about the big
picture, not just the
short-term
initiatives
 Speak consistently
about ongoing
initiatives
 Jointly discuss
current staffing and
hiring decisions
 Be cognizant of
your role and what
you would want if
you were in the
other’s shoes
 Responsible for
providing input into
the onboarding
process so it meets
one’s own needs
 Has discretion over
the content of
knowledge transfer,
especially with
regards to opinionrelated items
 Create time in
schedule to engage
in conversations
with outgoing
leader
 Develop entry plan
 Take responsibility
for action items that
directly impact next
year
 Create guidance on
transition process
 Ensure time is
scheduled for
transition meetings
 Articulate
contributions of
outgoing leader
publicly
 Manage timeline and
communications
about transition
 Ensure transition
process is
implemented
 Act as coach during
transition process
 Monitor to make
sure information is
understandable to
incoming
Knowledge Transfer: Technical and Adaptive Aspects
The transfer of knowledge happens both through the documentation of work and dialogue about the
role and work. As a group, we identified the scope of information/knowledge that would be important
to transfer. Then we organized that information into 1) the more technical and “nuts and bolts” type of
information that can be more easily documented and transferred with relatively little additional
information needed and 2) the more adaptive and opinion-related information that can be addressed
through conversations. Interviews and conversations convey the relational knowledge that is needed
better than a written account on one’s work alone: “Stories transfer more of the knowledge than bullet
points.” Some information should likely be conveyed through both formats. Leaders who do not
already have a rapport may benefit from starting with factual information before moving more gradually
into matters of opinion and judgment. We agreed that multiple conversations will likely necessary
because of the breadth and depth of information to share and the nature of gaining understanding over
time and with experience. Finally, we agreed that the incoming leader likely should have ultimate
discretion in what they receive as knowledge from the outgoing with respect to opinion/judgment
issues.
Technical and Logistical Information
1. Acronyms – define them!
2. Budgets (attention to context-specific nuances and time-sensitive considerations)
3. Data
a. School Demographics
b. Student Achievement Data (OSPI report card, state test data, local data)
4. Email lists
5. Existing Strategic Plan
6. Facilities Information
a. Keys
b. Emergency Plans
7. Grants (attention to relevant reporting expectations and deadlines)
8. Location of working files (hard and electronic files)
a. List important historical/reference documents to reference/be retained
9. Master and Other Schedules
10. Personnel Management
a. Staff list and contact information (including summer contact details)
b. Staffing assignments and open positions
c. Team/organizational structure
d. Existing decision matrix
e. Personnel files (evaluations?); plans for improvement
11. Project Status Reports of all current, outstanding, and important upcoming projects
a. Include deadlines, tasks and any special concerns (budget, stakeholders, safety)
b. Highlight important unfinished projects to consider
12. Stakeholders
a. PTA/Parent leaders (names, contact information)
b. Community partners (names, contact information, relevant projects)
c. Other relevant internal and external stakeholders
13. School Annual Events Calendar (attention to traditions and community expectations)
14. School Communications (newsletter, School Messenger, website)
15. Written Norms and Team Agreements
Adaptive, Big-Picture and Opinion-Related Information
1. Finding out about the “load-bearing walls,” the “sacred cows,” and the “land mines”
a. What in-progress initiatives are most vital? Why?
b. What commitments have been made on them?
c. Which unfinished projects should be focused on?
d. What should or could be done on them?
e. Are there quick win opportunities/low-hanging fruit to take advantage of?
f. What initiatives or programs could be halted without harm to the core?
g. Are there any legal processes underway to be aware of?
2. Getting to know the people
a. Discuss staffing assignments and open positions.
b. Are there any special considerations with regard to staff (e.g. known health issues)?
c. Who are the go-to people in the building for questions? For advice? For assistance?
d. What to do with staff evaluations (question about whether to share them at all)?
e. Discuss of staff with existing plans for improvement.
f. Who are the PTA/parent leaders and community partners and what are the dynamics of
those relationships?
3. Getting to know the culture/identity
a. What are the values that drive decisions and actions for this building/department?
b. What are the school’s/organization’s traditions?
c. What are the norms and team agreements?
d. What are the stories beneath the demographics and the data (e.g. high-impact kids in
schools with low overall poverty rates, test scores that deviate from other achievement
data, etc.)
4. Getting to know the new environment
a. Do a walk-through of the facility together to help surface site-specific items that may
not arise in other conversations
Additional Sources
Friel, T.J. and Duboff, R.S. (January 2009). The Last Act of a Great CEO. Harvard Business Review, accessed at
https://hbr.org/2009/01/the-last-act-of-a-great-ceo
Hargreaves, A. and Fink, D. (December, 2003). The Seven Principles of Sustainable Leadership. Educational
Leadership, accessed at http://jotamac.typepad.com/jotamacs_weblog/files/seven_principles.pdf
Kelly, K. (2001). Passing the Torch: 5 Steps for Turning the Baby Boomer Brain Drain into a Brain Trust. UNC KenanFlagler Business School. Accessed at: http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/executive-development/customprograms/~/media/Files/documents/executive-development/passing-the-torch.ashx
Kerrigan, H. (September 2011). “Expert Interviews Instead of Exit Interviews,” Governing. Accessed at
http://www.governing.com/columns/expert-interviews-instead-exit-interviews.html
MacMillan, D. (August 2008). “Issue: Retiring Employees, Lost Knowledge,” Bloomberg Business. Accessed at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2008-08-20/issue-retiring-employees-lost-knowledgebusinessweekbusiness-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice
Northeastern University’s Off-Board Toolkit:
http://www.northeastern.edu/hrm/pdfs/resources/employment/offboarding_toolkit_8_2014.pdf