Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Give You a Fresh Start After a Project Fails
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, you remember the story about that product manager at the big software firm — the one who led a launch that just completely flopped? Luna: Oh, the one where the app crashed on day one and they had to pull it for two weeks? That was brutal. Lucas: Exactly. And everyone in the company knew it was her project. But instead of riding it out in the same seat, she requested a lateral transfer to a different business unit — not a promotion, not a demotion, just a sideways move. And it worked. Luna: It's interesting, because the instinct might be to stay and prove yourself, right? Show them you can fix it. Lucas: Right, and that can work. But for her, the failed launch was so visible that every meeting she walked into, the first thing people thought of was that crash. A transfer gave her a clean slate — a new team that knew her only by her reputation as a competent operator, not as the person who broke the app. Luna: So it's not about running away from accountability. It's about controlling the narrative. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the angle I want to dig into today: how an internal transfer can give you a genuine fresh start after a project fails. Not as an escape hatch, but as a strategic reset. Luna: So what's the first step? You've just had a project collapse — what do you actually do before even thinking about transferring? Lucas: First, own the failure internally. Do a post-mortem, not just for your team, but for yourself. What exactly went wrong? Was it a technical issue, a resource problem, a misread of the market? The product manager I mentioned — she wrote a personal document, not shared, listing every mistake she made and what she'd do differently. Luna: That sounds incredibly hard. But also necessary if you want to avoid repeating the same mistakes in a new role. Lucas: It's the difference between a transfer that resets your trajectory and a transfer that just relocates your problems. If you haven't figured out what went wrong, you're likely to trip the same wire in the new role. Luna: So you've done the soul-searching. When do you actually start the conversation with your manager? Lucas: Timing is crucial. You don't want to request a transfer in the immediate aftermath, when emotions are raw and you still look like you're fleeing. But you also don't want to wait so long that you've been pigeonholed. A few months after the dust settles is usually the sweet spot — you've had time to contribute to the cleanup, you've shown you can take responsibility, and then you can frame the move as a positive next step. Luna: It's a delicate balance. How do you pitch it to your manager without sounding like you're running away? Lucas: You frame it as a desire to broaden your experience, not as an escape. You say something like, 'I learned a lot from the launch, and I think working on a different set of challenges would help me grow.' My guest in this case — she actually used the phrase 'I want to bring a fresh perspective to a new problem.' Luna: That's smart. You're not denying the failure, but you're positioning yourself as someone who's resilient and forward-looking. Lucas: Right. And if you're worried about your reputation, remember that managers often respect people who can acknowledge a failure and then deliberately choose a new challenge. It shows self-awareness and courage. Luna: But what if the manager blocks the transfer? Some managers might see it as a personal rejection. Lucas: That can happen. But if you've done the work, framed it well, and given it time, most managers will understand — especially if you can find a way to make the move benefit them too. Maybe you offer to help train your replacement, or you document your knowledge so the team doesn't lose institutional memory. Luna: So you're leaving, but you're leaving your team better off. That's a classy move. Lucas: It also makes the transfer more likely to be approved, because your manager can say, 'She left us in great shape.' And that narrative travels with you — the new hiring manager hears you're a team player, even in a difficult situation. Luna: I have to say, thinking about this episode, it feels like this is something a lot of people could use. I mean, we've all had projects that didn't go as planned. Lucas: And honestly, if we've helped you think through a career move or a tricky situation like this, that's exactly why we make this show. It's ad-free, and it stays that way because of listeners who support us. If you've gotten something out of these episodes, a couple of dollars a month at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo genuinely makes a difference. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep these conversations going and help other people navigate their careers. Lucas: So, back to the reset. Once you're in the new role, what's the first thing you should do to build on that fresh start? Luna: I'd say it's about setting early wins, right? Small, achievable goals that rebuild your confidence and show your new team you're reliable. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the key difference between a reset and a repeat. You need to be intentional about your first few months. Meet with your manager, set clear expectations, and deliver on something tangible quickly. That builds a new narrative: 'This is what I can do now.' Luna: And what about the psychological side? It's easy to carry the baggage of the failed project into the new role. Lucas: That's real. Imposter syndrome can spike after a public failure. But a transfer gives you a chance to separate your past from your present. You can literally say, 'That was then, this is now.' I've seen people thrive because they used the new role to rebuild their self-efficacy, one small success at a time. Luna: There's research on that, right? That managers actually view internal candidates who've had a setback more favorably if they've shown resilience? Lucas: Absolutely. There's a study from a few years back that found hiring managers value learning agility over a spotless track record. They'd rather hire someone who's failed and learned than someone who's never been tested. An internal transfer is the perfect vehicle to demonstrate that learning. Luna: So it's not just about escaping the stigma — it's about actively changing how you're perceived. Lucas: Exactly. And you can be explicit about it in interviews or when you introduce yourself to your new team. Something like, 'I worked on a challenging launch that didn't go as planned, and I learned a ton about risk management and communication.' That's a powerful message. Luna: But what if the new role is similar — same function, same type of projects? How do you avoid falling into the same trap? Lucas: That's a good question. The transfer might be to a different department, but the underlying skills are the same. You have to be honest with yourself about what caused the failure. If it was a technical skill gap, take courses. If it was a communication issue, work with a mentor. The transfer isn't a magic wand — it's a canvas for your own growth. Luna: So you're saying the reset only works if you've done the inner work first. Lucas: Yes. The fresh start is a privilege, and you earn it by being ready to actually perform. The best example I can think of is a finance analyst I knew who caused a reporting error that cost the firm some client trust. He moved to a different division, but before he did, he became the go-to person for fixing the process, worked nights to ensure it never happened again. When he started the new role, his new boss already knew he was the person who turned a disaster into a lesson. Luna: That's inspiring. It's almost like you're rewriting your story, but with evidence. Lucas: Exactly. And that evidence is what makes the transfer credible. If you can point to concrete changes you've made — a new checklist, a better communication protocol, a personal development plan — then the transfer isn't a escape, it's a strategic pivot. Luna: What about the people who stay behind? They might feel like you're abandoning them. Lucas: That's why the knowledge transfer is so important. If you leave a legacy of documentation, training, and genuinely helping your successor, the people you leave behind will become your advocates. They'll say, 'Yeah, the project failed, but she handled the aftermath like a pro.' That reputation follows you. Luna: So it's not just about your own fresh start — it's about making sure you don't burn bridges. Lucas: Right. And that's a long-term investment. The business world is smaller than you think, especially within a company. The people you impressed during your exit will remember you for years. Luna: I love that. So, bottom line: a failed project doesn't have to be a career killer. An internal transfer can be a deliberate, strategic way to hit reset. Lucas: If you've done the introspection, framed the move well, and set yourself up for early wins, it can be the best thing that ever happened to your career. The key is to be intentional — don't just transfer; transfer with a plan. Luna: And the plan is what turns a fresh start into a real comeback. Lucas: Exactly. Here's to second acts. Thanks for listening.