How to survive a company restructure
We hear about company restructures and retrenchments every other day, and job security seems to have become a thing of the past. Here are some tips on how to cope with a workplace restructure.
Given this difficult environment, it is important to provide strong support to staff – especially during traumatic events such as a restructure.
The team at Avocado Vision has this advice to give, which is based on the experiences and observations of those who have faced these difficulties.
Manage your reaction
When you hear the news that change is coming, allow yourself to feel the emotion of it, but be careful how you manage your response. You don’t want to burn bridges or give others reason to doubt your confidence, resilience and loyalty.
Communication is key
Make sure to stay open and communicate how you’re feeling. At the same time, ensure that your communication is constructive and not destructive, as the downward spiral of negativity will not help at all. Show solidarity with colleagues, but when you hear gossip starting, eliminate it or separate yourself from it as best you can. If you focus on the bigger picture, you can lessen the negative impact of an otherwise painful process, and more objectively assess your options.
Provide feedback
By giving constructive feedback to your managers, you will help them to better guide and support everyone through the process. It takes courage to engage with your employer or the main line of authority to understand the true nature of the change that is going on, instead of listening to corridor gossip and rumours. Also, remember that an informed mind is a transformed mind! If you take the time to learn what is really going on, it will guide you in your thoughts and choices going forward.
Don’t take it personally
When your company goes through a restructuring process, it is natural to think that you are one of the staff members that is going to be retrenched or moved out of the company. We tend to interrogate ourselves, and try figure out what we did wrong or what we could have done better. The important thing is not to take it personally, and to keep in mind that it’s purely a strategic decision by the leaders in the company for operational reasons. However, make sure to insist on a letter of testimonial from the company, explaining the reason for the retrenchment. As you prepare yourself to move on, be appreciative of what you have received/learnt/gained from the company – because you never know when your paths will cross with the people involved now. You want them to remember your grace under pressure, and your professional approach to a really tough situation. Ultimately, you want to be able to look back in six months time and feel like you handled yourself well.
Up your game
If you are among those who have been selected to stay with the company, remember that it’s not by chance - you are a valuable asset, so keep doing what you are doing in order to retain the value that you add. Improve where you can, because with less human resources within the company there will be more work to handle.
Show support
Always be supportive of those who have to leave and don’t let your friendships be affected. It’s always difficult when colleagues that you have been working with leave, but remember that each of us has a path and a purpose, and every closed door leads to a new, open one.
In every company, change is inevitable – and the better we become at managing this change – the easier it will be to succeed on both a personal and organisational level.
Jules Newton is CEO of Avocado Vision, who has a team that specialises in change interventions. They can be reached at 011 614 0206, www.avovision.co.za
