By SYCORAX TIYESA NDHLOVU –

The article ‘How to take off in your new job’ published under this column on March 21, 2015 raised many additional and related reactions from our esteemed readers.
What of the critical issues which came out strongly from such an article was the importance of hand over when one is taking up a new job.
Because most of the reactions on the stated article were from workers in various organisations; including from those in government departments, such readers spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation from their workmates and or employers.
It was observed that in most cases, little or no proper handovers are done when one is about to retire or one has resigned or when one has been dismissed from employment.
In such a situation, most readers noted that the person taking over that office is handicapped on most of the issues that that office is supposed to consider, be careful of or make a follow ups on.
It was suggested that before someone takes over an office, under normal circumstances, the person taking over the office is supposed to work with the out-going official for sometime so that the in-coming official learns about all the critical issues about that office.
Some people gave examples of how the civil service was working in the past. It was observed that in the past, before someone retires, a specific officer with specific qualifications and experience was identified; and brought closer to the officer who was about to retire. The in-coming officer was advised to under study how the senior officer (retiring officer) was executing his or her functions; and how he or she was handling certain delicate issues cropping up in that office.
Such a new officer under studying the official who is about to retire was observant and attentive to what the out-going officer was doing and saying respectively.
It was argued that it was from such a background that most new officers were very effective when they took over officers than a situation where there is little or no under studying a person who is retiring or who is  resigning after some few months.
Some readers gave an example of how successful republican presidents take over State House in the this country. It was noted that the office of a republican president is too tasking for one to take off without proper guidance and handover before one is fully in that office.
It was suggested that if successful republican presidents are to understand all the corners of such an office, they are supposed to work with  the past president for about three months before taking over office completely.
One reader gave an example of United States of America when they vote in November; but the republican president takes office in January, the following year. It was argued that the time between voting for a republican president and that of taking office is used for sharing notes and guiding each other on various issues that relate to the success and challenges of that office; and how best one can handle it for one to be successful; and meet electorate needs and expectations.
It was further observed that if out-going and in-coming republican presidents and workers can have effective handovers with each other, new office bearers in such positions can have little or no serious problems in handling their responsibilities.
Therefore, effective proper guidance to the new official in an office; and effective handovers between the out-going and in the in-coming officers reduce boobs when one takes over an office.
A certain reader in Lusaka cited a situation where in-coming officer had no proper hand over from the out-going officer; and the same new officer in that position didn’t want to show that he or she didn’t know what to do on certain issues; thereby causing many human resource related mistakes in that government department.
Readers said that because of absence of proper consultations between the in-coming official and the out-going one; and absence of proper handovers, one finds that most issues fall on the incoming official while in real sense some, if not all such issues might have happened during the reign of the official who resigned, was fired or who retired.
Some readers said that some officials found themselves in serious problems on issues which they didn’t know; but because they were no proper handover notes, auditors and top management officials or higher authorities breathe their hot air on the one who is now in the office to explain what really happened or where some things are.
Therefore, even if one can be excited that he or she had found a job which is as rare as dog’s horns, it is important to ask for proper guidance and hand over notes or else you might not last long in that  position and in that career.
Similarly, although workers leave offices on different grounds, except on where one is fired, it is better to give guidance and a proper hand over to the in-coming official so that you wash your hands on any issue that might crop up later.
Giving proper handover before leaving an office proves that one has nothing to hide; and that it shows that one has left an office in peace with others.
After giving a proper handover to the in-coming person, some former workers have ended up with some various contracts with the same organisations they were working for because of their good personality; and that there were in good standing with that organisation.
From such information, one can deduce that while in employment, one  is supposed to maintain high levels on honesty and objectivity. Being honest with high levels of objectivity helps one to easily prepare proper handover notes whenever one is leaving an office regardless of reasons for such a departure.
Office assets and accurate and up-to-date records of activities and programmes in an office can help proper preparation of handover notes.
Out-going officials should always have a heart for helping the in-coming official to take off successfully in his or her new office which you were holding by giving him or her good guidance and advice on how best to run that office.
People who help others to succeed in their career advancement are never forgotten. Help others  to succeed in their careers by giving them proper handover notes; and guiding them on the all nice and tricky corners of that office.
Don’t allow a situation where your successor in stranded with what to do next just because you didn’t guide him or her properly and you didn’t even give him or her proper handover notes.
But would you guide a person taking over from you; and give him or her handover notes even if you have been fired?
Forget about short-term career injuries. Those are just passing phases. Look at the bigger picture of your career. Do everything possible that can prepare a fertile ground for your recommendations in future opportunities. Remember referees come from your former supervisors!
Be good to others. Give them good handover notes and guidance on how to take off in that office. Recipients of such notes and guidance will appreciate highly and will also be good to you in some way in future.
The author is a trainer and career coach.
Contact: Cell: 0976/0977 450151
E-mail: sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk

Editor’s Note:  Please note that this is the last article in the series. We would like to thank the Author for his untireless contribution.