At some point in your career, you will need to transition a project to another person or team. The reason for the transition will vary but the steps for a smooth transition remain the same. Make it your goal to give your replacement all the information they need to ensure they can carry out the project properly. Creating a transition process gets easier when you think about type of questions you would ask or the type of information you would need if you were the person that was going to take over your project? What would make you feel confident to take on this new project? Below are several plays you may currently use or want to borrow to handover a project to a new person or team.
#1. Create and document a project transition process.
During a project transition, it is hard to think about the project in transition. Typically, you are preoccupied with getting it off your plate or focusing on the next thing. For this reason, you want to make sure key transition steps are not missed by documenting your process and reviewing it with key stakeholders to make sure it fits the needs of everyone involved.
#2. Ensure the project is current.
Tie up any loose ends. If you can’t do that, write down pertinent notes and make sure you share this information at your official transition meeting.
#3. Create a transition package.
Centralize all project documents and information. Some people consolidate everything in one folder on the network and share it. Others create a spreadsheet of the relevant documents and create a hyperlink that points to where they reside. Whichever way you choose to do it consider including some or all of the following items:
- Project plan document
- All documents involved in initial project plans
- Change requests throughout the project
- Communication and document templates
- Financial Reports, Invoices, SOWs, etc.
- Process documents, SOPs, protocols, etc.
- Copies of all project deliverables
- Updated project status reports and minutes
- A list of project contacts and their roles
- Copies of project emails
#4. Plan how you will make yourself available.
An overlap time between yourself and the new replacement is highly recommended. Define what that overlap time will be and how you plan to communicate expectations. Be available for them via phone or email for at least the first couple of week. Even if they don’t reach out to you, you need to reassure them that there is somewhere to go to if they get stuck.
#5. Schedule a transition meeting.
Have a formal meeting to pass all information over to your replacements and all other identified stakeholders. Don’t rush through this meeting. If needed, share the information in chunks over time to reduce overwhelm and ensure information retention.
Plan to review project status updates and task status updates. Outline some of the project methods and ways specific actions are implemented. Suggest next steps for the new replacement. Share your transition package location and share the process on how you want to handle questions about the package and any other information you share.
#6. Have a culture conversation.
Take the time to update your replacement of some of the cultural nuances of the project. This may be at a separate more informal meeting. Meet to discuss the different personalities on the team, overall politics, and project culture. Your replacement can definitely draw their own conclusions but your cultural insight will give them some foundation to work with as they begin to determine how they will work with the team dynamics.
#7. Transition your relationships.
Help your replacement manage the project relationships. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce the new replacement to team members. Start copying your replacement on emails with your client or team members. Save all of your emails in a folder and send them over is another option. Involve them in a couple of conference calls between your client and/or team to give them some knowledge on status updates. You could propose that you take over the first conference call and then ask them to lead the second to reflect the transition.
All the above are great work plays to make sure those involved in a project transition are at ease in what can be a highly stressful and difficult situation.
Do you use any of these approaches? What other approaches do you use to handover a project? Comment below and share your ideas.
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