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."
This post was originally featured on The Washington Post's website.