Transitions with Seams

"Seamless transition" is the ideal in change management. Whether on a large or small scale, you don't want anyone you're servicing to notice there's been a change in behind-the-scenes operations. True at the organizational level, and, some would say, also true at the individual level. So when so-called "individual contributors" (i.e. employees stressed out enough already about their own assignments, nevermind anyone else's) morph into managers, there's a hope that business won't be interrupted, and maybe will even become more efficient.

Well, it's true customers or clients may not notice, or care, that the manager handling their business has changed, but it's hard for that fact to slip past the minds of employees working under the new departmental leader. Sometimes it's for the best--a sigh of relief that The Horrible One has gone. I once worked under a person who's departure I used to fantasize about. I dreamed of singing "Ding Dong the Witch is Gone" in celebration (had to change the "dead" lyric to "gone" because I didn't actually wish her bodily harm). Other times a manager nobody thought was all that great leaves to make way for an even worse manager; and once in a while a manager who wasn't that bad leaves, and an even better one arrives. In the case of my "Witch," the second scenario applies: she didn't go anywhere--she's now the boss at my old job! I would say she's the boss of my former colleagues, but in tribute to her leadership style, all those I worked with have fled.

Sadly, this scenario of the bad giving way for the worse is common, and I'm not sure any amount of manager transitioning will solve the problem. If you want smooth transitions, consider who you're promoting in the first place, or who you've been unknowingly giving a free ride in your organization. The Witch (maybe you've experienced something similar) was not known for her abilities among my peers. The manager who came before her thought she was spectacular, but if she had asked her staff--and had we felt at liberty to tell the truth--she would have known better.

For smooth managerial transitions, come up with a way to gauge the opinions of those working under the person you're considering promoting. The trick is finding a way to do it that makes underling employees feel safe enough to be honest. Interviews with HR or training reps that are guaranteed to be confidential is an option--if you can convince those you query that their thoughts truly will be kept under wraps. Another option is for those doing the promoting to stay in touch throughout the year with the employees who will be affected by the management change--in other words, for the decision-makers to know the individuals who work under the managers they oversee. If you spend enough informal time with these employees, sooner or later you'll get a sense for how they truly feel about their boss.

Then, of course, there's the "whoops, my bad" option of helping those who promoted the person to take back their mistake. At the very least, six months after the promotion, check in--however you can--with the new manager's subordinates to see how it's going. Be sure to offer confidentiality if you're tracking these feelings in a formal interview. If you're doing it informally, learn how to read the subtle signs of interpersonal dissatisfaction. For the sake of self-preservation, they probably won't tell you just what a Mount Everest of loathing they've amassed for their new manager, but they probably won't be too enthusiastic to say anything positive, either. If the decision-makers, or at least the HR and training team, have kept in touch with these workers, maybe you'll notice they're a little more beleaguered or pathetic looking than usual (some people, granted, always have a somewhat pathetic look, so that alone may be nothing new; the key is if it's worse than usual).

Sometimes it's not your training, but the people you've chosen to school. They just may not have the potential you thought they had. Their greatest talent may have been no more impressive than the ability to kiss up to the promotion decision-maker. It's not laudable, but at least these "go-getters" know how to get where they want to go--even if they don't do much when they get there.

Do you find the smoothness of your managerial transitions depends mostly on the quality of the people you've promoted?  Or is the training you provide enough to overcome the inadequacies they hid well enough to get there in the first place?