Change Management During Organizational Restructuring

Most change initiatives don't fail because of the change that's happening, they fail because of how the change is communicated. I've watched brilliant restructurings collapse and transformative acquisitions unravel… Not because the plan was flawed, but because leaders were more focused on explaining the "what" and "why" than on how they were addressing the fears and concerns of the people on their team. People don't resist change because they don't understand it. They resist because they haven't been given a compelling story about their role in it. This is where the Venture Scape framework becomes invaluable. The framework maps your team's journey through five distinct stages of change: The Dream - When you envision something better and need to spark belief The Leap - When you commit to action and need to build confidence The Fight - When you face resistance and need to inspire bravery The Climb - When progress feels slow and you need to fuel endurance The Arrival - When you achieve success and need to honor the journey The key is knowing exactly where your team is in this journey and tailoring your communication accordingly. If you're announcing a merger during the Leap stage, don't deliver a message about endurance. Your team needs a moment of commitment–stories and symbols that anchor them in the decision and clarify the values that remain unchanged. You can’t know where your team is on this spectrum without talking to them. Don’t just guess. Have real conversations. Listen to their specific concerns. Then craft messages that speak directly to those fears while calling on their courage. Your job isn't just to announce change, but to walk beside your team and help your team understand what role they play in the story at each stage. #LeadershipCommunication #Illuminate

I’ve had to protect my team in the past, particularly when their time or focus was at risk. I’ve seen this happen at companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, where mandates and initiatives would stack during the same timeframe. While each initiative alone might have been reasonable, together they overburdened the teams. Those compiled costs may be invisible to the folks driving the individual mandates. You may have seen teams get overwhelmed by a major release, a review cycle, and bi-annual business planning all at once. This type of time management stress is usually manageable, but there are times when teams can be stretched too thin and compromise morale and quality. When you witness this, I believe it’s crucial to step in. You will hear from your team and you need to be close enough to the issues to decide how to respond. This can be tricky for a leader: on one hand, you want to ensure your team can succeed; on the other, you’re part of the broader leadership and need to support the decisions being made. Sometimes, you have very little room to maneuver. In those cases, I find it most effective to have a private conversation with key decision-makers. Meeting behind closed doors allows you to present the reality of your team’s capacity without putting anyone on the spot. Armed with clear data or project plans, you can often negotiate more realistic timelines or priorities. Another common pressure is when stakeholders create frequent direction changes. Repeated shifts in goals or features will thrash your team and waste energy. This often reflects deeper issues with strategy, alignment, and communication. However, you may not have time for a complete overhaul of your planning processes, and you still need a way to prevent thrash. A short-term fix is to set firm near-term milestones or “freeze” dates, after which any changes must go through a formal triage process. This ensures that if changes are necessary, they follow a transparent, deliberate sequence rather than blindsiding. After the freeze, broader project changes can be considered. Ultimately, I see my responsibility as a leader as fostering an environment where my team can perform at a high level, stay motivated, and avoid burnout. Part of a leader's role is to protect their team’s capability and long-term health. There will always be sprints and times when you need to push, but you also need to consider the long view and put on the brakes when required. People who feel supported are more productive, more creative, and likely to stay engaged.

Rebuilding a High-Performing Team in an RTO World: A Client’s Success Story When my executive client was tasked with bringing his 650-person department back to the office after four years of remote work, we knew the challenge wasn’t just logistical—it was strategic - and his concern wasn’t just about getting people back to their desks but ensuring he had the right people in the right roles to drive business success. Through our collaboration, we decided to develop a two-phase approach that allowed him to manage change effectively while restructuring his team for optimal performance. Phase 1: Managing the Change of RTO (Months 1-3) Rather than rushing into assessments and restructuring, we agreed that it was best to focus on re-acclimation first. 🔹 Gradual Reintegration: He implemented a structured return—starting with three days in-office before scaling up—giving employees time to adjust. 🔹 Listening Sessions: My client led discussions with teams to understand concerns, workflows, and career aspirations post-remote. 🔹 Cultural Reset: He modeled the company values, reinforced the why behind RTO, and reinforced the culture in every meeting. Phase 2: Assessing & Restructuring the Team (Months 3-6) Once stability was established, the next step was restructuring the team for the future. 🔹 Skills & Contribution Audit: Partnering with HR and others, my client assessed whether each role still aligned with business needs. He found that some functions were now redundant, while others required a new skill set after four years. 🔹 Team Effectiveness Review: He restructured teams to improve efficiency and positioned high performers in roles that leveraged their strengths. 🔹 Strategic Reassignment & Exits: Some employees transitioned into new, more fitting roles. Others, who struggled to adapt or no longer aligned with the business, were respectfully transitioned out. Still others were supported in their current roles with new training to equip them to succeed in the future. Messaging the Changes: Transparency & Stability 🔹 Communicating the Vision: Early on, we knew framing the restructuring as an opportunity was important. 🔹 One-on-One Conversations: My client ensured employees moving into new roles—or out of the company—had clear, respectful conversations about their next steps. 🔹 Rebuilding Trust: By reinforcing that changes were intentional and strategic, employees recognized the thoughtfulness that had been invested in the changes. The Outcome? He's rounding out his six month and says his department is performing at a higher level than pre-pandemic. It's not been easy and there have been a few surprises, but he knows his team is set up for long-term success. What my client learned was that returning to the office wasn't the real challenge - rebuilding the right team was. If you’re navigating RTO and need to reassess your team for long-term success, let’s connect.👇

Early in my career, I faced a moment many of us dread: A sudden, unexpected company reorganization. It seemed like overnight ➟ my role ➟ my team ➟ my daily tasks were all up in the air. I remember the anxiety. The flurry of rumors. The uncertainty. They clouded my thoughts about the future. But it was in this chaos that I found clarity. I realized that change, though daunting, also brings opportunities for growth. I wrote an article on this for Harvard Business Review. Here are 5 actions you can take when your professional life is unpredictable: 1. Embrace the Uncertainty Use periods of change as a catalyst for introspection. Reflect on what truly matters to you and your future. 2. Define Your Identity Think about who you need to be... Not just what you need to do. 3. Focus on the Process Establish and commit to positive career behaviors. It gives you a sense of control and leads to results. Examples: • Contribute in each team meeting • Expand your network every week  • Offer a strategic idea to leadership monthly • Take on a stretch opportunity once a quarter • Thank a coworker for something helpful every day 4. Cultivate Learning Agility Be ready to adapt. Stay curious. Embrace new ideas. This mindset isn't just to survive; it helps you thrive. 5. Ask for and Act on Feedback Regularly seek feedback. Take time to reflect on it. It's crucial to know where you're growing. And where you need to improve. Change can be scary. But it's also a chance to reset. To pivot. You may discover new paths you hadn't noticed before. Remember... It's not the strongest or most intelligent who survive. It's those who can best manage change. Lean into the uncertainty. Use it as a stepping stone. Build a career that's not just successful, but also aligned with who you truly are. Find this valuable? Repost ♻️ to share with others.  Thank you! P.S. What keeps you going when things get uncertain?

Retaining Talent in Global Capability Centers (GCCs) Attrition at GCCs is influenced by the same factors as anywhere else: dissatisfaction with leadership, lack of growth opportunities, and better offers elsewhere. To tackle these issues, here are some key strategies: 1. Build the Right Talent Pyramid: Ensure clear career paths and progression at all levels, including maintaining a proportionately good number of leadership roles at the global location. This not only leads to better outcomes but also helps in keeping overall costs under control. 2. Develop Strong Leadership: Invest in leadership development programs to ensure that leaders at GCCs are effective, supportive, and aligned with the company’s values and goals. Regularly gather feedback from employees to identify and address any leadership issues promptly. 3. Treat GCCs with Respect: Avoid using GCCs as dumping grounds for undesired work from HQ. Treat them as integral parts of your organization with clear charters, accountability, and ownership. 4. Competitive Total Rewards Package: Stay competitive with the local market. Being in a low-cost location doesn’t automatically make you competitive. Especially if you’re new, aim to be ahead of the market to attract top talent. 5. Strong Employer Brand: Invest in building a strong employer brand with a compelling value proposition in every key talent location. This will significantly enhance your ability to attract and retain the best employees. By focusing on these areas, you can create a thriving GCC that not only retains top talent but also drives exceptional outcomes for your organization. #GlobalCapabilityCenters #TalentRetention #EmployerBrand #CareerGrowth #EmployeeEngagement #HR #Leadership #GCC Zinnov Meenakshi Sachdev @Megha Deb

Most companies think stakeholder management is about getting buy-in. It's actually about changing predictions.   Years ago, I was helping a technology company with their organizational transformation. They had grown from a startup to several thousand people but were still operating like a startup. No real processes. No decision-making structures. Just running from one urgent need to another.   When I recommended new forms of governance, the resistance was immediate. And here's what made it complicated: each senior leader was resisting against a different, negative outcome as a result of the change.   For example, some believed that structure would slow them down and make them less nimble versus competitors. Others thought it would kill innovation. Some thought it would create bureaucracy by adding layers and layers of approvals to workflows. Many thought it meant they would lose the autonomy to run their business unit.   Here's what was really happening. Each person's brain was making different predictions based on their unique experience. These leaders could only predict problems because unstructured processes and systems were all they'd ever known. Their brains couldn't envision the benefits because they had no (or at least limited) experience with good structure.   Traditional stakeholder management would have grouped them as "senior leaders" and design one strategy for them all. But their concerns were entirely individual.   Changing predictions requires three things. First, understanding that each person's concerns are unique. No two brains make the same predictions. Second, getting people to try new approaches without perfect information. This takes direct, one-on-one conversations. Third, recognizing that predictions don't change overnight. It takes experience and repetition.   If the stakeholders in your company are resisting change understand that their brains are doing what brains do. They're predicting outcomes based on what they know.   The next time you build your stakeholder management approach remember it's not about treating everyone with the same title the same.   It's about engaging everyone, individually, where they are. Michael J Lopez Consulting #change #stakeholdermanagement

Top talent doesn’t leave because of pay. They leave due to: --poor leadership --lack of growth opportunities --and burnout with no support. Here’s how to stop the bleeding: 1/ Stop Managing. Start Unblocking. → High performers don’t need hand-holding → They need you to get out of the way 2/ Make Their Work Matter. → Tie their projects to actual impact → Don’t hide them behind busywork and fluff 3/ Kill Pointless Meetings. → Every unnecessary meeting says: → “We don’t value your time” 4/ Give Feedback That Grows, Not Grades. → Don’t wait for performance reviews → They want real-time coaching → Not annual judgment 5/ Pay Attention to Burnout Clues. → Silence, short replies, lack of initiative → These are signals → Burnout doesn’t always shout 6/ Let Them Say No. → Respect bandwidth → If every “yes” leads to another project → They’ll eventually say “I’m out” 7/ Invest in Their Next Chapter → Even if it's not with you. → Help them grow beyond their current role → Ironically, that’s how you keep them longer Retention isn’t a policy. It’s a pattern. If your best people are always “doing fine,” You’re not paying enough attention. Want to build a team that stays? ♻️ Repost and follow Justin Bateh, PhD for more.

Some organizations aren’t resistant to change, they’re just exhausted. They’ve been through a restructure, a system rollout, a leadership shift, another strategy refresh… And often in the span of a year or two. The message may keep changing. The priorities never seem to settle. And teams quietly start to disengage, because they’ve run out of energy to keep adapting. This is change fatigue. It shows up in slow execution, quiet resistance, high turnover, and growing cynicism. And if it’s not addressed, even the most well-designed change won’t land. Recovery starts with acknowledgment. Leaders need to recognize what people have been carrying, not just professionally, but personally. From there, prevention and recovery go hand in hand: · Clear, stable priorities. · Consistent leadership behaviors. · Real communication, not just updates, but two-way conversations. · And most importantly, pacing change in a way that balances ambition with capacity. An organization that’s been through too much doesn’t need more urgency. It needs clarity, trust, and time to rebuild its footing. Because when people feel like every change is just another disruption, they stop believing that any change will make things better.

Running employee #focusgroups is about more than collecting information. It's an opportunity for #employeeengagement ... I've used this template to facilitate focus groups with clients who have recently undergone layoffs, who want to understand engagement scores, or who are introducing new company values or larger organizational changes. Designed intentionally, these sessions #pull people into the change you're seeking by involving them and giving them an important role. People love and appreciate feeling heard, especially when a change affects them. Change is personal. We can treat it that way by taking a #personalized approach to data-gathering. This focus group agenda template: 1) Gives employees skin in the game by asking for their expertise, stories, and insights. 2) Gives employees a role by asking them to listen to what other employees are saying in the room so that themes can be built upon and solidified. 3) Show them the importance of their opinion and experience by elevating their status and highlighting their unique role. Success is not just measured in the succinctness of answers but in employees' ongoing commitment to join you in the change you seek.

Here is the first of a number of #2025Bingo cards I built this evening - #AIUseCases for #ChangeManagement Practitioners. Based on Prosci research about how change practitioners were integrating #GenAI into their work, this bingo card can be used to get started or evaluate your current AI application. 1. Communication Support AI-driven chatbot for real-time FAQs. Automated grammar checks for change messages. Drafting tailored communications for diverse audiences. Refining messaging to align with change goals. Generating engaging headlines for change initiatives. 2. Content Creation Creating training materials from existing content. Developing case studies based on industry data. Rephrasing complex topics into simpler formats. Generating templates for communication materials. Transforming reports into engaging presentations. 3. Strategy and Planning Utilizing AI for scenario planning exercises. Reviewing and optimizing communication strategies. Prosci Free Space! Analyzing risk factors in change proposals. Brainstorming tactics for stakeholder engagement. 4. Automation and Efficiency Automating follow-up tasks post-training sessions. Organizing content for change management activities. Using AI to schedule stakeholder meetings. Generating initial drafts for project proposals. Deploying bots for routine administrative tasks. 5. Data Analysis Analyzing survey results for change readiness. Aggregating data to assess change impacts. Segmenting audience data for tailored messaging. Monitoring employee feedback on change initiatives. Evaluating performance metrics during change efforts. Enjoy. And Happy New Year!