The following was posted to GaryNorth.com recently:
“If I decide to leave my job in the next several months, how should I plan to hand off my job to a successor in a professional manner?”
I suggest you publish a Turnover Plan. The ostensive purpose of such a plan is to “turnover” the job to a replacement, whether present or not. But, there are more strategic reasons for you to publish the plan, as indicated by the benefits. Publishing the plan:
- Forces an analysis of the role and responsibilities, including those not being performed.
- Describes the limit of personal capability applied in context. Where is development required?
- Indicates limit of performed functions. (That is, functions not performed, or not performed to standard.)
- Indicates limit of organizational controls. Where are policy, standards, procedures needed?
- Provides both a framework and a “how to” for the successor.
The a turnover plan is based on an analysis of the job function. As such, there is value in publishing a turnover plan regardless of any plans to turnover the role and responsibilities.
Turnover Plan
There are many ways to structure a turnover plan; here’s one general structure in outline form:
A. Abstract
Table of contents
Table of tables
Table of figures
B. Executive summary
C. Overview of function, including…
Overview of the business, in the context of your role and responsibilities
Overview of customers (internal and external)
Overview of [your] function
Description of Your Deliverables
Description of your responsibilities
Limitations
D. High-level Description of each performed function, including rationale…
Provide a Function/Task Matrix (table)
Function 1 –
Function 2 –
Function 3-
Etc.
E. Detailed description of each function…
Listed above, placed into a matrix which describes accomplishment of each, associating them with the five functions of management within matrix. (Note: draft the content using a spreadsheet/matrix.) The five functions are:
Controlling
Directing
Planning
Staffing
Organizing
…Optionally, matrixed against each of the five resource categories:
Manpower
Methods
Material
Machines
Money
…Reference to applicable tasks in the Raw Task List (See Appendix A).
Appendix A: Raw Task list.
Tasks implement the functions, above, and are procedural in nature. Use a one or two page template for each task, so that each task has stand-alone description:
Task ID
Task Name
What (description)
Why (Rationale)
Deliverable(s)
Where (information store, delivery point, etc.)
When (schedule)
Who (stakeholders, customers, suppliers, etc.)
How (methods, procedure steps)
Required resources
Standard of performance
Appendix B: Resource list:
Information infrastructure (location of data and information; access permissions; security parameters and meta information; etc.)
Associated/applicable Knowledge base
Third-party support
Appendix C: Key stakeholder contact list:
Who
Role (RASIC, what, when, how)
Contact information
Index
The Upshot…
The Turnover Plan serves many purposes beyond turning over a job to a successor. The basic value in publishing the plan is understanding the job in detail.