At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the US 4x100 meter relay team - despite being the top favorite - failed due to a poor baton handover at the last changeover. In 2024, things got even worse for the US boys. The first changeover failed completely and led to disqualification. It is no different in companies: the baton handover has to work when an experienced specialist leaves and a successor takes over. The new person can be as well trained as they like, but if the know-how transfer does not succeed, he or she is only worth half as much to the company. All of this is obvious, but in some companies it is still not addressed systematically enough. Just as relay teams practice the baton handover intensively before competitions, a smart HR department will put the topic on the agenda early enough.
The methodology for this is quite simple. First, you have to be clear about what knowledge and know-how the prospective employee has and what of it is worth retaining for the company. We call this the
personal knowledge map.
This is developed jointly by the person leaving and the successor, under the guidance of a moderator. The focus is primarily on the experiential knowledge of the person leaving, which is valuable for the successor. Since this is often implicit knowledge and personal experiences that are difficult to document, the moderator plays an important role: He encourages the person leaving to share stories and experiences that make this elusive knowledge accessible. In a
Action plan
all necessary actions and steps for a successful handover of the baton are recorded. The plan should contain operational details that are crucial for the successor. This includes not only login data and access authorizations, but also important projects for the next three months, regular tasks such as daily, weekly and monthly routines, and required training. These operational details provide the successor with clear guidance on which activities and responsibilities are imminent and which ongoing processes must be continued seamlessly.
However, one of the crucial aspects is often forgotten in this approach. The success of a company depends not only on the performance of the individuals, but also on how well and intensively they are networked with each other. It is therefore strongly recommended to create a
Network diagram
to develop a plan in which his important contacts and relationships are reflected. This is the basis for the successor to grow well into the tasks and to avoid any gaps in the complex network of relationships within the company and towards the cooperation partners.
Once prepared, the measures can be implemented and the successor can be offered a strong foundation for his professional future in the company. This process described is the
Expert Debriefing,
i.e. the phase of direct handover between those involved. The main actors are of course the person leaving and the successor, but also the contact persons in the network. Although it will not be possible to get everyone involved around the table for a long time to clarify all the details, a period of joint work should definitely be planned for the handover of the baton. This can also be used to personally introduce the successor in the network.
The procedure outlined here is a logical and experienced system and is therefore nothing special. But in practice it is often difficult to implement. On the one hand, despite all its importance, the topic is often ranked behind the urgency of everyday business, and on the other hand, the planning for it is often only half-hearted. People simply write down whatever comes to mind in a hurry. The result is half-baked action plans - not good preparation for the handover. It is therefore highly recommended to allow external support for the process and the activities of those involved at this point. This not only brings professional clarity in the analysis and consistency in implementation, but above all underlines the seriousness of the actions. The "leaving" person feels that he and his previous work have been valued, and the successor feels well introduced. This is good for the working atmosphere and word gets around when looking for skilled workers. Everyone wins.
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