On January 16th, Leadership Connect kicked off a new year of webinars with an insightful and timely conversation about navigating IT mission success throughout transitions and staffing changes.
From adapting to new executive orders to maintaining robust communication strategies, this webinar explored these complexities, offering key insights and actionable steps to help agencies navigate change while safeguarding the mission of protecting the Constitution and the American people.
Missed the conversation? Check out the highlights below and watch the whole thing here and make sure to follow our Events Page to get in on the next conversation.
Focus on the mission
Maintaining a mission-oriented approach is crucial during periods of transition. Agencies and officials should:
- Strictly adhere to established procedures and processes while intentionally and strategically adapting to new Executive Orders.
- Keep mission values at the forefront and never forget the main objective of protecting the Constitution and the safety of the American people.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of potential threats to better anticipate and mitigate risks.
- Provide training to staff on the importance of mission-focused decision-making.
Respond, Don't React
Transitions often come with policy shifts, but the panelists stressed the importance of responding thoughtfully rather than reacting impulsively.
- Avoid knee-jerk reactions to Executive Orders. The panel discussed the details of former President Biden’s cybersecurity order and urged the audience to keep it in mind even as President Trump overturns and changes the cyber priorities.
- Recognize that priority changes are inevitable, but cybersecurity and information sharing remain consistent focuses according to CISA.
Process and procedure
A smooth transition relies on robust processes and open communication. Effective measures include:
- Briefing incoming leadership and engaging with them early with the landing and transition teams.
- Leveraging career officials to equip new appointees with the knowledge and tools they need.
- Using Executive Order grace periods to carefully analyze and plan next steps, avoiding security gaps that could arise.
- Focusing on document preservation and standardizing briefing materials for incoming teams.
Agency and Hill collaboration
Collaboration between agencies and Congress remains a cornerstone of effective governance throughout transition periods.
- Career officials play a vital role in maintaining continuity and institutional knowledge.
- Revisiting past legislative initiatives that did not pass in the former Congress may provide opportunities for advancement in the current Congress.
- Using historical legislative data to identify priorities and opportunities for collaboration is a great way to get frequent meetings with Congressional offices to build and maintain strong relationships.
Learning from the past
Lessons from significant cyber incidents in the past underscore the importance of continuous improvement. Agencies should:
- Evaluate systems and software post-incident to identify vulnerabilities.
- Prioritize honesty and transparency with leadership to maintain trust.
- Create a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging feedback and evaluation.
Maintaining the process
Preventing gaps during staff turnover is essential for operational stability. The panelists suggested our audience do this by:
- Ensuring comprehensive documentation and preservation of processes.
- Responding to Requests for Information (RFIs) promptly and accurately.
- Utilizing tools like Leadership Connect to monitor transitions and receive timely alerts regarding the Executive branch and key appointees.
Communication best practices
The biggest takeaway from this conversation is that clear and timely communication is the most essential part of a successful transition. Here are a few ways our panelists suggested that audience members could focus on improving communication:
- Tailor communication strategies based on the importance of the topic.
- Ensure that Congress is informed before media outlets to reduce misinformation and speculation.
- Promote transparency to build trust with both agencies and the public.
- Develop a communication plan for sharing updates with internal and external stakeholders.
- Publish accessible and informative content to educate the public on cybersecurity initiatives.
- Advocate for timely hearings and confirmations to minimize delays in filling critical positions.
