Navigating the Emotional Turbulence of Organizational Restructuring and Transition

My role was the head of human resources, and we were getting ready for an organizational re-structuring, which would begin with the elimination of 25 leadership roles. My responsibilities were threefold:

• Prepare 25 leaders for a difficult conversation they will be having the following Monday with a member of their team.
• Prepare support for 25 leaders who would find out they no longer had a job. How do we help them let go of their emotional ties to the organization, process their grief and focus on a job search.
• Help an organization of over 4,000 employees to understand this decision. How do we help them process the announcement and calm their anxieties about what happens next.

Our COO was in my office for an update about our plans. He listened, had a few questions, then complimented and thanked me for the work. But he didn’t leave my office, he stood behind his chair and said six words that changed my life, “Your name is on the list.” With those words, I became the 26^th leader who was going to be unemployed. Those six words ended 25 years with the organization and sent me off into the unknown.

As a human resources executive, I’ve been on both sides of job loss, guiding leaders and organizations in decision-making and then saying “good-bye” to staff and it impacted my life. I want to share some thoughts about saying good-bye in ways that help someone move on.

Emotions

As leaders, we want employees to have an emotional attachment to our organization, it’s called “engagement.” Why? It’s good for the organization because they give more of themselves, are more productive, are sick less, etc., all good things. When you cut those ties and eliminate someone’s job, it will have a huge emotional impact on the employee and those they work with.

We rarely talk about emotions, but they are the most challenging part of the job search for anyone who has lost their job and those who remain. Those feelings can’t be ignored, they’re real. I was fully engaged to my organization and my role and with six words, I suddenly wondered “who am I?” Throughout my journey I experienced a myriad of emotions, ranging from fear and anxiety, to anger, loneliness, embarrassment, and yes, even a drop in self-confidence, just to name a few. Anyone losing a job will experience these and more.

Emotions are also experienced by those left behind, especially if they are a highly functioning team. For them, it’s more than losing a co-worker, they’re losing a friend. They will experience many of those same emotions themselves and on behalf of their friend. Fear, anger, concern, etc. You will need to help those people move on too. Are you ready to listen to how they “feel” and what they need to help them move forward? Are you open to proving support for them too?

Your leadership focus

There are countless reasons why someone’s employment may be terminated. I don’t argue with the decision, my concern is your focus. In Gino Wickman’s book Traction, he says once you know a person isn’t the right fit, or the role isn’t needed, it is critical to make the decision and not procrastinate. He goes on to say, “And yes, there will be some pain, but only for about 36 hours.” The 36 hours of pain he speaks about is for the leader who had to make a difficult decision and deliver the message. In the process, too often leaders make decisions which help them to feel comfortable and normal again quickly.

Instead, the focus should be on the person(s) who’ve lost their job and those who they worked with. I promise you, those impacted by the change will experience far more than 36 hours of pain. If you don’t help them, the transition will take much longer than expected.

Do the right thing

Most leaders want to “do the right thing” for the employee but are uncertain what it means. Start with appropriate severance, healthcare, resources, and outplacement to help transition to a new job. Don’t try to take advantage of the situation and “win” the severance negotiations. Remember, everyone is watching what you do. How you treat them will answer the question on everyone’s mind who remains with the organization, “what if this happened to me?” If you do it well, they will move on quickly. Do it poorly and they’ll begin looking for a new job or become guarded and less engaged, which means less productive.

The conversation

How you say goodbye is as important as what you say. Do it with dignity and respect. Don’t begin with small talk, start with the decision that their employment with your organization is over, then tell them why, i.e., a re-organization, economic, performance, etc., followed by what you will provide for them. (Provide a written document to take along as they’ll only remember parts of what you said to them.) It needs to be clear the decision is final. Don’t get drawn into a debate. Avoid phrases like:

• “This isn’t personal”
• “This is business”
• “Some day you’ll thank me”

You might think they will ease the pain, but they don’t.

Their last day?

After the message is delivered, many organizations will move quickly to usher the person out of the building, with no chance to say goodbye to anyone and often with someone from security walking them out. How undignified. My question is always, “Why?” Is it to help you move on by getting them out of the building, or do you care about the person and those they work with.

While there are some people who possess trade secrets or have a history of volatile reactions who you don’t want in the building, they are not the norm. Consider offering them the opportunity to finish out the week, provided they don’t spend time bad mouthing or trying to sabotage the organization. If they do, you can pull back their severance. Some will stay so that they can say goodbye to friends, close things out and walk out with personal dignity. Give them the opportunity if you can. Others may say “no thank you” and leave that day.

Transition support

They need help in making the transition from your organization to their next job. Some may not have looked for a job in years, maybe decades, and the process is much different today. The sooner they find a job, the better for your organization.

I often utilized an Outplacement firm because it is their specialty. They have state-of-the-art resources and certified coaches giving the impacted employee a competitive advantage in the job market. They are also equipped to provide them with a safe place to express their emotions and move forward more quickly to look not just for a new job to survive, but a career where they can thrive. Their work protects your brand in the community.

Success finding a new job helps you. Co-workers will let go of their concerns about “what happened” to their friend when they see them employed again and successful. The employee becomes a better reference for your organization letting others know “they helped me to make the transition.”

Your community may have free resources available to help employees in their transition. Check out your local community workforce development board, community college and public library to see how they can help.

Conclusion

Terminating someone’s employment is never easy. Focus on helping them is the best way to move everyone in your organization forward.