Making Human Capital a Priority During a Presidential Transition

Times of presidential transition can both be challenging and rewarding. But with careful planning and diplomacy, an agency won’t have to struggle through what could be a hugely disruptive process.

When a new administration comes in, there is always a keen human capital interest in preparing briefing books that accurately describe the size and demographic breakout of the workforce, as well as detailing high-level data of how the workforce is positioned in its various program areas. Successful leaders want to know how their people are deployed, what they are focusing on, and do they have the resources to be successful.

Invariably, a new administration will have a mandate to start a new program or shift to new priorities. Consequently, human capital leaders need to anticipate how the existing workforce can be better aligned to take on those new opportunities. The task then becomes informing the new political appointees on their options on how best align that workforce under the existing statutory, regulatory or legal confines that don’t sound overly bureaucratic or unmanageable.

This can be an extremely sensitive process. In some cases, new appointees undergoing a detailed vetting process may have a limited window into the organizations they are going into so by the time their appointments become effective, it’s not always clear what kind of and how much information needs to be conveyed.  Communication in this phase is key, but in order to communicate effectively, you have to have a solid understanding of what your agency is capable of and what its competencies are. You need to understand its history and more importantly, its culture. Asking probing questions during this phase is critical, but it’s equally critical to not be a wet blanket.

Overall, you have one chance to make a first impression. Data integrity and understanding the myriad of the Federal HR mandates and being able to communicate effectively during these periods will be key during this transition period. In order to accomplish this in a meaningful way, you have to be in a place where you can anticipate questions and keep everything realistic and fact-based. 

Want to learn more? Join me September 7 for the Government Workforce: Learning Innovations Conference.