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Changing project managers during a project is a realistic situation that can occur in any company and a team should be prepared on how to handle this. Projects can be long-term engagements, and project managers may leave due to new job opportunities (whether that’s internal or outside the company), medical/personal leave, or internal re-assignments. There are a variety of reasons for a company to shift resources and since project managers or other team members can leave a project at any time, it is useful to plan for a successful transition.

The transition can be more of a challenge for the incoming project manager, since the one leaving is mentally checked out of their role (or in the midst of checking out).   However, this may not be the case he/she is changing positions within the same company or are going on leave because they’d be more interested in ensuring a successful transition. As bad as that sounds, it is reality that all companies are faced with.

Depending on the workload, it’s always a good idea to list out all the projects you are managing along with any other ad-hoc tasks you work on for the company/team.  This helps break down how much you actually need to transition and start thinking of the most efficient way to conduct the knowledge transfer.

Below are some useful tips on how to make the transition smooth and successful.

1.)    Go over the scope of the engagement

If there is a kick-off document available, this is a good place to start. It can provide a high level overview the goals, objectives, scope, timeline, and major milestones for the project(s).  This should be reviewed first and then afterwards, one can read through the statement of work (SOW), where it can describe other information on issue management, risk management, change management, status reporting cadence, and deliverables.  The SOW will then be clearer to understand once the kick off information is shared.

2.)    Provide the internal scoop

The mechanics of any project are important, but getting to know the delivery team is equally as important. One should talk to the new project manager about the different personalities on the team. One should know how to handle each team member because they all aren’t the same. Some may require extra TLC, while others are super self-sufficient and don’t need much micro managing.  The last thing you want is for the team to feel the ripple effects of the transition.  One needs the to remain focused on the project tasks without worrying about it.

3.)    Provide information about the client

It is also equally important to learn about the business customers who are involved in the project since they can impact it at anytime. Different stakeholders have different interests and goals in mind.  Some care about issues, while others care about budget/schedule while some just need to know what you need from them to be successful.  One should always introduce the new project manager to the customer and allow them to get involved as soon as possible so the customer feels comfortable with the new project manager.  The goal is to ensure the confidence level of the delivery team doesn’t decrease.

4.)    Deep dive into the project plan/schedule

A detailed review of the project plan is a must.  It is key to understand the critical path, key dependencies, milestones/deliverables and all the detailed tasks assigned to the delivery team.  One should be able to speak against the tasks, report on them and know exactly what the tasks entail.  The transition should cover how the schedule is being managed, how to identify late tasks/risks/issues and how upcoming tasks are communicated to the project team. 

5.)    Review the time entry and invoicing processes

The project manager should ensure the replacement knows how to use the time and entry system so they can review project hours/expenses in a timely manner.  This could be done on a daily/weekly/monthly basis so that the project budget can be tracked against the estimations. This also ensures the invoices are done correctly. This all hits the bottom line of the company so any mistake in reviewing this information is very crucial during this process.  The project manager should also understand how invoicing works and the means of how the invoices are sent to the customer, whether it’s by email, snail mail or some system the customer requests the team to use.

In the end, you want to successfully transition a project and have the company’s best interest in mind when doing so.