First, somebody has to own the transition. One person. For a company commander, maybe it’s the XO, for the S3 it might be the assistant S3, for a BN CDR there should be a “project officer” working for the XO, as it will be a multi-week process. Transitions are risky, they are where things go wrong, from crossing a linear danger area, to changing out a hand receipt holder; approach them all deliberately.

Your new boss (command or staff) is operating at a sprint on day one, so it’s important to get them up to speed quickly, and prepare them to execute their duties. All the previous comments are spot on, so I’ll add that it’s beneficial to get to know each other sooner than later, as relationships are key in this business. A hail and farewell, commander’s beer call, breakfast with key leaders, etc., can all be used to break down the barriers of not knowing who the boss is, or them knowing more about the team. Find out how the boss likes to receive information so you can inform their decisions from the start, e.g., slides, email, text, phone call. What data points do you think they need to hear about every day? What issues do they want a phone call in the middle of the night about? Prevent the new boss from being surprised by issues.

Having a new boss can be a great opportunity to make a much-needed change in how things are done. Don’t take advantage of the situation and change a business practice without informing the new boss; instead, present to them how it was done in the past, and your recommended way for doing it in the future. Think about changes you would like to see before the transition so you’re ready to present soon after the new boss takes over.

Two notes on professionalism – First, your new boss will almost always assume their predecessor did a good job, and if they didn’t, the new boss will figure it out pretty quickly. It’s not your place to make disparaging comments about the last boss; simply articulate any problems or issues the organization has or is about to have, but don’t try to pin it on the outbound leader – the new boss can do that on their own in the privacy of their mind.

Second, if you have serious interpersonal issues with the new boss, or they came in and made some significant changes that bother you, calling their boss (your senior rater) to complain is not going to work out. Unless the new boss is doing something illegal, unethical, or immoral, you’re not going to get anywhere with the approach (I’ve seen it go south too many times). Talk to the XO, CSM, etc. about the issue to see where you might be able to affect positive change.