Fore! or is that just a corporate reorganization...

If you’re a golfer, even a novice, you’ve probably heard that shouted on the golf course at one point. You freeze, look around and try to determine where the ball will land or hit. Will it hit you or will it hit someone in your foursome?

This scenario reminds me of the impact during the 2008-10 corporate reorganization strategy to offset the economic decline. During this time, companies proceeded to fire away at the new transitions and then let the balls fall where they may with only a short fair warning. Employees were left wondering how this was going to affect them.  Who would be affected and how do they handle this news?

This situation still happens today and unfortunately generates a lot of stress and tension in the workplace. It often follows a pretty successful run in the company so it catches people by surprise.  Reorganization means change and not everyone is programmed to adjust to change. Employees who are directly hit can become severely injured. They may struggle to adjust to get back in the game.

This organizational stress is translated very differently with each employee and their ability to handle change. Employees who are better at handling change can be valuable assets during this transition.  

Two important strategies to consider are:

1.     Identify the change leaders in the company who are better at handling change, risks and are trusted allies within their corporate subgroups.

2.     Identify those who are risk averse and slow to change who may need more time to adjust and understand the dynamics of the reorganization.

Part of what we do at Integrative Corporate Solutions is to identify these diverse players and how they will react, lead, support and motivate each other through this stressful time.  Our goal is to help corporations, during this time, master effective communication, lower stress, and eliminate hostile climates.