CAI-NJ May 2020 (w)

MANAGER TRANSITION... from page 15.

and community, a chance to express expectations and set goals as this transition progresses. So, what should these parties plan to do during this period? Here are some ideas: 1. Be sure to notify the board members as soon as you know of a manager’s plan to exit. Holding that informa- tion for any length of time puts great stress on the exiting manager. He knows he is going and would like to be honest with those people who trust him. 2. Once a new manager is engaged, the board or exiting manager should be the one to announce the change to the community. 3. Let the two managers get together as soon as possible. Sometimes replacing a manager may be made easier by allowing the exiting manager to help in the interview process — she probably has some unique perspective on the type of manager that will work in that community. Her knowledge can be of great assistance at this time. 4. Exiting managers, should prepare these items and be ready to review each with the new manager:

of time to seek out just the right replacement. Even then, the process can be stress-filled. The management company worries about a smooth transition and finding the properly qualified candidate. The community hopes that someone can fill the shoes of their exiting manager, and they worry about having to start all over. In these instances, allowing the sitting manager to have some time to train the new manager is always the best option. This helps ease the concerns of all parties, gives the exiting manager a sense of accomplishment, and the in-coming manager gets a chance to have a soft-landing. The new manager will undoubtedly feel anxious; they have no idea what they are stepping into. The exiting manager may feel an actual sense of grief, of loss. They have spent time and energy building trusting relationships and walking away may be hard. They may worry about leaving their loved community in good hands. Whenever possible, allowing these two professionals to work together for a time gives both parties, as well as the management company

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