Surviving The Reorg Storm

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​So your team has been restructured and the dust has only just settled. Now you’re supposed to go back to ‘business as usual’, but things feel far from normal. As the leader, you’re in a tough position, everyone on your team is turning to you for answers and clarity; what do you do?
 
Rest assured you’re not alone; heck, you can’t read a newspaper or hear a business report these days without learning about a company cutting back, laying off or reorganizing.  Just like you, there are hundreds of leaders trying to find their way to get back on track and rebuild the trust of the ‘survivors’.
 
Survivor Syndrome
Just like after a shipwreck on a desert island, the survivors are worn-out, tired, grumpy and scared.  At times they feel guilty they made it through the cuts, while friends did not, other times they wish they were gone too – these are all natural human reactions after riding through such a rough experience.  It is important to be mindful of these emotions as you move forward with your remaining team, in order to help you rebuild momentum and trust. It’s not going to be an easy process to get everyone back on track, but with a bit of patience and guidance, it will certainly be achievable.
 
To help you make some headway, we’ve created a handy-dandy Survivor Checklist to help you through these stormy times:

• Take Care of Yourself – ”In the event of a sudden change in cabin pressure, the oxygen mask will automatically appear. If you’re travelling with someone who requires assistance, please secure your mask first before assisting the other person”. Recognize this?  Simply put, you’re no good to anyone if you don’t look after yourself first. The best thing you can do is to try and remain calm and manage your own stress levels. Watch this YouTube video to ‘Learn how to Calm Down in 10 Seconds’ – it’s a simple, yet effective approach.  Some other strategies to cope with your emotions can be discussed with your Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) who will have plenty of resources for free to help you manage the sudden changes you’re experiencing. And don’t forget, it’s equally as important to focus on your health and wellbeing. Eat healthy, get plenty of sleep and exercise and avoid dependence on alcohol or other damaging habits.

• Gather Up Your Team & Talk (Frequently) – Do you remember the big blackout in August 2003? Most of Ontario and a chunk of the Eastern seaboard of North America had no electricity on one of the hottest days of the Summer.  As people finally found their way home, they gathered with neighbours and started BBQ’ing food before it spoiled – sometimes in the middle of the street with a crowd. They ended up laughing and sharing stories of how they managed to make it home after hours of walking, hitch-hiking or sharing rides with strangers.  It conjures up some really funny memories, doesn’t it? Hanging out together, helping each other, swapping stories and venting about what has happened is a healing exercise for people to begin to let go of the old ways. So remain visible, give your people permission to ‘let it out’ and let them share their anger, resentment and frustration.  There will be lots of questions and many you may not be able to answer right away but sharing and venting will allow you to move past the event and begin talking through next steps together.

• Actively Listen – While this may seem repetitive to the previous tip, it bears a separate action because it requires a special skill – active listening. This is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding. It requires focus and attention, concentrating on what is being said. Typically, it also requires repeating or reading back what you’ve heard.  Record a list of raised questions or concerns to demonstrate you are listening and commit to letting your team know when you are able to answer or comment further.  And to avoid any further upset or disappointment, address rumours as soon as possible; water cooler talk can be very damaging to your team so the sooner you can address these statements, the better.

• Review the Workload – Take time to look at the workload of the team to determine if you need to shift accountabilities with fewer team members. Be careful not to over burden your high performers – the ‘go to’ people are quite vulnerable during downsizing. That said, those who are keen to move up might be ready for additional stretch assignments with greater responsibilities as a part of their development plans.

• Reset Expectations – Review team objectives and communicate any changes.  It’s important each team member understand the changes as it provides a certain level of comfort when they fully comprehend what is expected of them.

• Meet With Each Team Member Separately – Yes, it may look like overkill, however people can quickly see if you’re really supportive or just doing the obligatory team meeting thing.  Checking in with people privately after a big change helps you gauge where any issues might be (e.g. there could be conflict within the team or with new stakeholders). Ask them for feedback and look for ideas from within the team to solve issues, rather than trying to solve them all on your own.  Always make sure you keep the lines of communication open, as communicating is key to building buy-in for a positive future.

• Recognize, Thank & Appreciate – Don’t just use formal channels for recognition, find opportunities to thank your team members and demonstrate genuine appreciation. All people need to feel valued, and particularly when times are crazy. Share wins, acknowledge successes and encourage the team to do the same at team meetings; all of these spread positive feelings and provide your team with a supportive environment.

• Have Fun – It may not sound very ‘corporate’ but if you look back over your own career, the best times you had – regardless of how crazy – were when you were able to laugh with your colleagues.  I once had a wonderful boss who brought in Loretta Laroche videos and played them over lunch, just to hear everyone bust out laughing.  She knew that laughter was a way to break through the stress.  Click on Loretta Laroche to watch on YouTube.  Find ways to take light-hearted breaks together – go out for ice cream, host amusing contests or enjoy team pot lucks.  Ask your team to find fun things to do together, including you!

 
At the end of the day, just like those people on the island after the shipwreck, the team will come together and rebuild a whole new existence.  Together, you really will survive and you’ll have plenty of stories to share along the way.
 
Throw out a lifeline:   Phone a friend…dots!!
If you need help to get through the trying times, or you’re looking for strategies to build your team, contact us at Dots Leadership Solutions!  We have plenty of great tools and solutions to assist you. Learn more about our Specialties here.