Blog
January 23, 2025
Chief Human Capital Officers and Assistant Secretaries for Management: Start here!
As the Trump administration’s new political appointees assume their roles with big policy goals in mind, chief human capital officers and assistant secretaries for management will be essential partners in implementing the new agenda.
Officials in these roles are responsible for their agency’s operations and their most important resource: the workforce. These jobs are never easy, but even less so in times of presidential transition, which is why the Partnership for Public Service has published guides each transition cycle to support new and seasoned leaders in these roles. These guides offer recommendations for CHCOs and ASAMs during a transition, including:
Establish a strong relationship and rapport with your agency leadership. As secretaries, deputy secretaries and undersecretaries start their new roles, look for ways to demonstrate the problem-solving capacity of your office. Position yourself to be an ally and strategic partner early on.
Understand the vision and priorities of the administration that will be carried out by your secretary and your deputy secretary. This information will influence how you drive the department’s strategic priorities and support regular program delivery. This knowledge will also help you build positive relationships by framing your interactions and advice in a way that resonates with the new leaders.
Outline and define your role through conversations with leadership. Delineating responsibilities and establishing decision-making channels and communication rhythms will enable you to offer clear directions for those under your supervision.
Brief appointees effectively and early. As new leaders get oriented, consider the order, pacing and presentation of the information you share. Outline the most pressing issues so that appointees are prepared to make early decisions on the issues that matter. Tailor your briefings to the appointees’ stated priorities, their preferences for receiving information and their levels of prior government experience.
Build bridges between political appointees and the career workforce. Whether new to the role or a holdover, a career employee or political appointee, ASAMs and CHCOs serve as critical links between the senior political leadership and the rest of the agency. Fostering trust and good relationships between political and career leaders will accelerate an appointee’s understanding of how things really get done and set a tone for productive working relationships during the administration.
Full guides with detailed recommendations specific to the ASAM and CHCO roles can be downloaded here and here. Guides for new secretaries and deputy secretaries can also be found at this link.