How to help your successor take over your position
How would you like to take up your new position, to arrive in your new office, and find that the only assistance offered by the departing manager was there in the middle of your desk - a bundle of unlabelled keys with a note on the company letterhead saying, 'Good luck!' Departing managers can easily avoid frustrating incoming managers. In the process, a departing manager can win a professional colleague for life simply by being considerate, collegial, and courteous. All he or she must do is undertake a few basic tasks before leaving...
1. Assemble essential information.
There are some items that will prove vital for the information of any incoming manager - staff lists, company handbooks, traditions, policies and procedures, project assignments, workplace committee lists, scheduled events, emergency evacuation plans, pending staff actions, - and so on. Gather such information into a clearly labelled tray and leave it on the new manager's desk with a sealed, personal memo detailing any critical or urgent matters.
2. Update the manager's computer files.
Sherlock Holmes would have trouble deciphering your computer files, and so may the incoming manager. Review your files, saving essential data and trashing the rest. And don't forget to leave a key to unlock the mysteries of your file labelling - for example, that 'bgt' means 'budget', that 'res' means 'resources', that 'dg' means 'delegated', and so on.
3. Organise essential references and filing.
On the most visible bookshelf, gather together the important references - company handbooks and policy manuals, current procedures and guidelines, relevant legislation, staff bulletins, budgets, annual reports, and other essential documentation. Organise vertical filing logically, grouping the material under as few categories as possible. If your files have been categorised in a more complex way, leave a roadmap if necessary to help the newcomer find relevant documents.
