Respond to prefers-color-scheme dark in app web views

Follow section front redirects in Spectrum

Enable NLP source in PCS for load testing

Switch off the News Alerts Survey Widget when we have enough responses

Poll to determine if new LUF updates are available

Allows the winning A/B test variant to be turned on without Spectrum deployment

Show infinite scrolling sections in Assembler MultiView

Show option for NLP article summaries in Action Bar

A general feature flag for Recipe Features that aren't yet released

Feature flag for media team features that aren't yet released

Use new Orca video player for preroll plugin in Spectrum

Show the snow tracker (instead of the heat tracker) on Spectrum

What’s the best bus to New York? We tested 5 for comfort and value.

You asked: Do I need a passport for my cruise?

Adaptive equipment is making national parks more inclusive

Young Georgians want to be part of Europe. Their government is in the way.

On Press Freedom Day, little to celebrate for Hong Kong’s journalists

Taxes are inevitable. Paying to prepare them doesn’t have to be.

That time football legend, rig-driving eligible bachelor Biden was arrested

Trump and allies say Biden pays rent for ‘illegals’ in Michigan. Not true.

Eighty percent of Ukraine-Israel bill will be spent in U.S. or by U.S. military

NASA moon capsule suffered extensive damage during 2022 test flight

Russian state media ramping up English, Spanish presence on TikTok, study finds

Apple is behind in AI and killed its self-driving car project. What’s next?

Miss Manners: Offering my bedroom to guests

Ask Amy: My wife’s sister confessed her feelings for me

Carolyn Hax: Will request for a postnup offend much younger wife?

Chinese EVs are good for the world. Biden says they’re bad for America. 

Why the Solomon Islands election matters to China and the U.S.

Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ like China, Russia, at campaign event

Cat climbed into Amazon return box, found alive 630 miles away

Brave Little Hunter is free: Baby orca escapes lagoon for open seas

I learned to heal my sadness by cradling dying chickens 

World Press Freedom Day, 2024

How Trump convinces Republicans to adopt extreme views

Campuses are grappling with the Gaza war. So are our columnists.

This masterpiece ‘Birth of Venus’ probably isn’t of Venus at all

The beginner’s illustrated guide to watching an F1 race

Wait, what is Stephen A. Smith talking about? Find out with our quiz.

The 6 best things to do with kids in the D.C. area this weekend 

The 33 best things to do in D.C. this weekend and next week

Trevor Williams’s escape act helps Nationals blank Rangers 

Stephen A. Smith would like even more of your attention

Local sports networks go dark mid-game amid dispute with Comcast 

US President Joe Biden Departure

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition landing teams have begun to descend on federal agencies across the government. These men and women are charged with providing the new administration information about the responsibilities of the various agencies as well as the challenges ahead.

For federal employees, this can be an unsettling time with many unknowns that include probable policy changes and new personalities calling the shots. But it also can be an opportunity for career executives to lay the groundwork for productive working relationships with the new team.

There is no magic formula. It is really about career executives providing the transition team members with useful information, offering the best possible insights and meeting their requests whenever possible.

Edward Hugler, the deputy assistant secretary for operations at the Department of Labor and a veteran of presidential transitions, advises that managers who confer with the transition landing teams should “anticipate and be prepared to give them what they need” without trying to provide every detail of the department or agency handbook.” More often than not, he added, “they will tell you what they want.”

“Between Election Day and the inauguration, none of these people are federal employees. They are not part of the federal government, so you really cannot share everything with them," he said. "Usually the touchstone is that if the information would be available under the Freedom of Information Act, you can give it to them.”

“It can be awkward, but I think the good news is that the landing teams have been well-versed in limits of what they can ask for,” he added.

John Palguta, a former colleague of mine at the Partnership for Public Service and longtime federal leader, advises that career executives should be open about existing problems and challenges facing the agency, and not hide the landmines like a major budget problem or workload backlog that might explode once the new administration is in office.

The subjects explored by the transition landing teams can be wide-ranging, including the budget, contract and legal disputes, cybersecurity concerns, the state of the agency’s career workforce, major looming legislative, regulatory and administrative issues, strategic priorities and longer term decisions that need to be made.

Palguta said career executives should present the facts, but avoid being judgmental and telling the transition team members what the new administration must do or automatically nixing their ideas. The goal, he said, is to provide honest, valuable and objective information.

In addition, Palguta said the landing teams represent an incoming administration that won the election, and the eventual political appointees will have the authority to champion the policies of the new president and make changes. Understanding the legitimate objectives of the new team, he said, will allow career executives to plot the best path for getting there.

Hugler agreed, adding it is important for career executives to be good listeners.

“The incoming team has a mandate and things to get done, and if you listen carefully, you will pick up where they are going,” he said. “That will enable you to give the best advice you can give because you actually understand where they are headed.”

In many instances, vacancies in politically appointed leadership jobs will exist for months after the inauguration because of the delays by the president in nominating people and by the Senate in confirming these individuals. This means career leaders will fill the vacuum, ensuring that programs function and services are delivered.

While those serving in an acting capacity will have to keep the trains running, many experienced hands recommend avoiding major decisions that should be reserved for the incoming administration. “I wouldn’t suggest making a huge investment in a new financial system," Hugler said. "That’s probably not a good idea.”

The bottom line is that the career executives and the workforce will still have to do their jobs, fulfill the mission of their agencies and be professional. They also have to be ready for a change in leadership and direction, and will have to work with the new team.

The transition is the first step in this process, and getting off to a constructive start not only will help career leaders build relationships and gain trust that can pay dividends later, but it will help the new administration be ready to govern.

If you have any experiences, advice or comments on the presidential transition, please share your thoughts below or email me at <a href="mailto:fedcoach@ourpublicservice.org">fedcoach@ourpublicservice.org</a>.

Tom Fox, a guest writer for <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership">On Leadership</a>, is the vice president for leadership and innovation at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/11/14/dos-and-donts-for-federal-workers-facing-a-presidential-transition/">Do’s and don’ts for federal workers ahead of the Trump administration</a>

Like <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership">On Leadership</a>? Follow us on <a data-xslt="_http" href="https://www.facebook.com/leadership.washingtonpost">Facebook</a> and <a data-xslt="_http" href="http://www.twitter.com/post_lead">Twitter</a>, and subscribe to our <a data-xslt="_http" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-leadership-from-washington/id914006389?mt=2">podcast on iTunes</a>.

Tom Fox, of the Partnership for Public Service, explores workplace issues and provides advice for federal managers through analysis, interviews and reader Q&As in his Federal Coach blog for On Leadership.

Tom Fox

The Washington Post

name

prism://prism.query/site,/business/on-leadership&limit=20

Leadership

Leadership focuses on management and leadership positions.

prism://prism.query/site-articles-only,/business

Business

The source for business news and analysis. Covering economic policy, business policy, financial news, economic issues, stock market data, local business, technology and more.