Change is inevitable at work. From structural shifts to strategic pivots to reprioritization, as a leader, you’ll often find yourself needing to communicate transitions to your team. This year alone, companies have had an average of 20 new strategic initiatives or transformation efforts in play, according to RGP’s Dynamic Workforce Report. On top of that, many are experiencing layoffs and restructuring, with 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies in the tech industry in 2024 so far, as recently reported by TechCrunch.
These changes often bleed into employees’ day-to-day work, as they take on new responsibilities or are forced to table a major project because of organizational pivots. As a result, 76% of employees report feeling burned out in their current positions, according to a collaborative study by The Harris Poll and The Grossman Group. But here’s the good news: as a manager, you set the tone for how your team navigates and responds to changes.
So, how can you empower your team to gracefully adjust to strategic shifts?
Process your own reaction first
Before you communicate changes to your team, take a little time to process your own feelings that may have been triggered by having the rug pulled out from under you. Your reaction as a leader will set the standard for how your team responds, so it’s important to sit with these changes on your own first before you relay them to the group. Consider talking it out with a mentor or peer to reframe your thinking of the situation so that you can enter the conversation with your team with greater clarity. This can help you convey conditions in a more balanced light and enable you to feel more prepared for the questions or concerns that may arise.
Be honest in your communication
Try to be as transparent as you can when communicating company pivots to your team. Explain why there was a shift in direction and which factors led to that decision. For example, if your team’s hard-won project is being shelved, lay out the reasoning behind the directive, and emphasize the value of the work they have done, even though things have changed. Make it clear that this change is not the result of them not doing a good job, but rather a bigger-picture shift. 88% of leaders say the more transparent an organization is, the greater the workforce trust, per Deloitte, and taking an honest, direct approach in your communication will show your team that you respect them.
Hear them out
Regardless of how transparent you are about the changes, your team is going to have opinions and feelings about them. So let them voice their disappointment and concern, and try not to get defensive. Just as you, the leader, have to process the change, allow them time to process it for themselves. Try not to downplay the situation or force positivity right away. Because toxic positivity – denying one’s real emotions in favor of positive thinking – can actually cause more psychological distress, according to Healthline. Listen to your team’s real emotions, leave room for open communication, and emphasize that you know it will take some time for everyone, including you, to adjust and that that’s okay – you’re in this together.
Focus on opportunities
While you may not be able to do much about an organizational decision to shift directions, you can still encourage your team to find opportunities within the change. If they are taking on new responsibilities as a result of the pivot, perhaps there are stretch goals they can accomplish or new skills to get excited about developing. Or maybe there are benefits that come with having the new focus, rather than juggling a lot of projects at once. However you choose to frame new opportunities, do your best to help your team feel motivated to take advantage of these changes and recognize the good that’s in store.
Establish a clear vision
Outline how you’ll be moving forward with the given changes so that your team has a strong understanding of what comes next. Right now, more than half of employees don’t clearly know what is expected of them at work, according to Gallup, and it’s impacting their job satisfaction and connection to their company missions. So, helping your team understand what comes after a shift and laying out what’s expected of them can alleviate a lot of their worries and keep them motivated to move forward. If the new direction is still uncertain, you can start by breaking down short-term goals and next steps. Try to set a timeline for the coming weeks to provide more stability and control.
Provide ongoing support and check-ins
In most cases, change doesn’t happen overnight. As your team adjusts to the new direction, find ways to offer them continued support. Maybe this means increasing the cadence of your one-on-ones or team check-ins to make sure they’re understanding and working through their new tasks. Or perhaps it’s about finding ways for your team members to support one another. For example, empowering your more well-adjusted employees to reach out to their teammates who seem to be having a harder time with the change. This can make those team members feel recognized for their resilience, promote a greater sense of connectedness, and hopefully push the more hesitant employees to make that mental shift.
