How to Tell Your Team That Organizational Change Is Coming
Author: Liz Kislik
From time to time, every leader has to deliver news that is hard for employees to hear. Even when businesses are doing well, organizational and structural change is to be expected, and acquisitions, reorganizations, policy changes, or technological advancements can affect people’s jobs in ways that create feelings of fear, anger, or sorrow. Each employee wonders, “How will this change affect me?” or assumes, “Oh, this won’t be good! How am I going to get my work done?”
Announcements like these can be daunting. And they go awry if the message is insufficiently planned or poorly delivered. But by attending to the following crucial components, leaders can be ready to communicate the news in ways that will help recipients adjust well, recover quickly, and move forward to execute the change.
Plan more time than you ever thought necessary to prepare the content, the delivery, and the necessary follow-up.
Typically, you should expect to hold not just one initial “all hands” meeting or videoconference, but also a series of smaller team and individual conversations as follow-ups. As one of my clients was going through a series of organizational changes, a valued middle manager reacted negatively in each town hall, asking inappropriately detailed questions, as if it were a game of “gotcha,” to show that the ramifications hadn’t been fully considered. Once his boss made clear that he would have the opportunity for continuing formal and informal discussions, the manager kept himself in check and was able to offer specific suggestions to improve implementation.
Also, take pains to coordinate announcements so that no one is caught flat-footed if the news is being released at different intervals by individual managers and organization-wide outlets. It may feel like you’re overinvesting in planning, but it will save you time and pain in the long run. Giving people multiple opportunities to take in and process the announcement is essential for thorough understanding; receiving the information from the right sources in the right sequence is crucial for credibility.
Equip all levels of management to explain the context.
Provide training and rehearsal or role-play time to everyone who will need to communicate the message; don’t assume they’ll have the right instincts. Otherwise, to escape their own discomfort, they may dump the news or blame management, either directly or indirectly.
One client’s executive team had to do significant repair when frontline managers announced to their teams that there would be a cutback in bonuses because “they said you didn’t do enough,” rather than explaining the reasons for the results and the plans already under way to improve those results for the future. Employees who had worked as hard as they could were frustrated and resentful, and distrusted senior management for some time thereafter.
Describe the organizational pain and how the new solution alleviates it.
Instead of just announcing a disruptive change, give the background of what’s not working today and why the new plan is the best way to get to the desired outcome. Focus on how customers have been hurt, how the business is incurring extra expense, the negative brand impact—and how the change will help mitigate those problems. When one client had to consolidate multiple operations to increase efficiency and reduce time to market, it was clear that there wouldn’t be room for all the incumbent leaders. It helped to review the shared history and the acknowledged pain points.
Personalize both the impact and the resolution.
If you don’t, employees may not understand which specifics apply to them, or even how the company is providing support or services to help them cope. For example, in the small group or individual meetings, come prepared with all the necessary details to be able to answer personal questions immediately, rather than creating even more anxiety and aggravation while you assign someone to work out the specifics you didn’t research in advance. When one client changed its health plans to keep costs down, it helped covered employees research their doctors’ eligibility and find new practitioners when necessary. The employees were grateful for the individual attention and support and were subsequently less resentful even though items such as deductibles and copays had gotten more expensive.
Give the affected people as many options and as much participation as you can.
When they have choices—and the necessary information or support to make them—employees feel more respected and maintain more pride and autonomy. The closer people are to the work, the more likely it is that they’ll generate practical ideas. At one organization that was having some financial difficulties, we facilitated a series of meetings about cost-cutting measures that let everyone look for ways to help out—even though they were adversely affected by some of the very measures they proposed.
And don’t assume you know what’s best for each individual or what they might choose. When a client company was absorbed into a larger operating unit, some deeply committed HR executives stayed till the bitter end, providing outplacement for their colleagues despite knowing that by the time they looked for jobs themselves, the best opportunities would already have been filled.
Demonstrate humility and responsibility, not just authority.
Many leaders mistakenly believe that they’ll be given a pass for shaking up people’s lives if they say they’re suffering over the decision or the disruption themselves. Even treating the problem as a shared responsibility can backfire and feel manipulative to employees. Instead, say things like, “I’m sorry I didn’t anticipate . . .” or, “I was too enthusiastic about x . . .” to show that you take seriously the impact of the situation on others. You can’t prepare for every curveball, so if you don’t have the answer to a question, say something like, “Wow, that’s a question we didn’t think about, but it’s a good one. We’ll get back to everyone with an answer early next week.” Don’t try to fake your way through.
You can use this kind of planned approach to ensure that news of your organization’s change is heard, recognizing that different people will perceive information differently. It can feel unnecessarily painstaking to take the time to plan and then work through all the details with your employees.
SPEAK CONFIDENTLY—EVEN DURING CHAOTIC TIMES
by Darcy Eikenberg
“The chaos right now in our organization is overwhelming,” Lara revealed during our executive coaching session. Her company had just hired a new CEO, and the ripple effects of change were traveling throughout the organization. “I need to keep my team focused and encouraged, but anything I say feels fake and distracting. Should I just stay quiet until things calm down?”
When I speak with managers like Lara, I know she’s not alone in wondering what to say to her team. We’re taught that our people require more communication during tough times, and yet we worry that sharing our honest observations will backfire.
Staying silent might seem like a safer approach. However, it only generates what INSEAD professor Nathan Furr calls “unproductive uncertainty,” where nothing moves forward. While we wish we could hit pause and wait for the confusion to clear, we know that moment may never arrive.
Here are two ways to think differently about what you say, so you can speak confidently to your team no matter what.
Recognize the power of “and.” One verbal tool is to use the word “and” more intentionally. This allows you to align two seemingly separate thoughts—things are difficult, and things will be OK. For example:
“We’re making fantastic progress on our main project, and the new COO is considering changing the direction of that work. We’ll continue to focus on our progress and trust in our experience that we’ll adapt if we need to.”
“Our team’s been struggling while Mara’s out on maternity leave, and this gives us a chance to rethink those processes and requirements.”
“The supplier is a month behind schedule, and so we can shift our attention to project Y.”
Using “and” more frequently ensures you’re not overindexing on the good out of fear of making your team worry about the bad. Your people are smart—they know nothing can be perfect, and they’ll welcome the truth.
Teach the past to arm the future. In most businesses, we aspire to move forward quickly and not dwell on the past. But reminding your team about times when they—and the company—thrived unleashes evidence that you can succeed again. You can use your company and team’s history, whether you lived it personally or not. Here are examples my clients have used:
“Many of you are new here, and may not remember when we went through the last recession. Here are a few things that happened then and how we worked through them.”
“Angela, I’m betting you recall our challenges before, during, and after the last acquisition like the one we’re managing now. Would you share a few stories with us?”
“While I’m still new to the company, I’m not new in our field. If it’s helpful, here’s what I learned during the last time I experienced this kind of change.”
Even if your team comprises new hires, there’s history behind why the work exists and the pain or problem it solves. Unpacking the past and connecting it to the present helps you create more certainty in the future.
When you are able to communicate with confidence, your team will be better able to address their concerns and feel in more control of their work, even amid changes, setbacks, and stressors.
Darcy Eikenberg is an executive coach and leadership speaker who teaches leaders how to help their people stay. She’s the author of Red Cape Rescue: Save Your Career Without Leaving Your Job and writes regularly at RedCapeRevolution.com.
Adapted from the article “How to Speak Confidently to Your Team During Chaotic Times”.
But knowing you’ve done everything you could to help them withstand challenges and move ahead will make it much more satisfying when you finally achieve the desired results.
Liz Kislik helps organizations from the Fortune 500 to national nonprofits and family-run businesses solve their thorniest problems. She has taught at NYU and Hofstra University, and has spoken at TEDxBaylorSchool. You can receive her free guide, How to Resolve Interpersonal Conflicts in the Workplace, on her website, lizkislik.com.
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