Tips for Managing Leadership Changes in Restructuring Practices

🥴Org changes are hard for our teams and for us as leaders. But, we can’t let the difficulty of change keep it from happening. I’ve had conversations with 3 different organizations in the past 2 weeks who are facing some structure changes—changes that may affects peoples’ roles, leadership structures, and potentially peoples’ futures with the organization. So, what can you do as a leader to help navigate these types of changes? 1. Focus on what the orgnanization’s needs are. Sometimes, the needs of the org shift over time and require different skills. 2. Outline an ideal org structure independent of titles. Instead, focus on the capabilities and roles needed. 3. Give opportunity for realignment. Offer existing team members a different role they could take in the new structure (if it’s a fit). 4. Have the hard conversations. Don’t put it off…it doesn’t serve you, the org, or your people to delay difficult conversations related to change. One of the hardest parts of leadership can be navigating change with your team. But you can still do it with compassion, empathy, and respect. And, if you need some help having hard conversations, check out Radical Candor 👉 https://lnkd.in/eapAVQRQ

Your company is going through a reorganization, and you’re not doing anything about it. I recently spoke with a man in his 40s who I’ll call Alex. Alex is a dedicated mid-level manager in a well known financial services company. He’s known for being a solid product manager with a strong work ethic. He’s a team leader and someone who gets the job done. He suddenly found himself in an all-too-common scenario: a company-wide restructuring. Despite the shifts he knew were coming, Alex decided he didn’t need to do anything. His thought process was “my performance will speak for itself.” My advice to Alex: —> inaction carries significant risks Alex's career progression is at stake. When organizational change is coming, visibility is key. By not actively engaging in the reorganization process, Alex will miss out on opportunities to showcase his adaptability and thought leadership. This oversight could lead to being overlooked for promotions or, worse, becoming redundant in the new structure. Second, inaction will breed uncertainty and anxiety. When there’s a defined structure, people are confident in their role. When things change - when changes happens to him and around him without his participation - he WILL face doubts about his job security and relevance. Being in limbo is not where you want to be in during a reorganization. I advised Alex to get involved and in the know. That would allow him to have a measured response to things out of his control; to influence decision makers; and to take action on his behalf to ensure a smooth landing. Alex changed his stance and got engaged. I helped him strategize on how to work with his leadership team and stakeholders so that he could secure a spot in the new organization. I helped him get his LinkedIn and resume updated in case the worst happened. The action he took worked. He had options - inside and outside the company. His effort paid off and he landed safely in a similar role at the same company. He now realizes the importance of proactive career management, especially during organizational changes. If you’re in a situation similar, recognize the need to adapt, participate, and reassert your value to the company. Embracing the change will safeguard your career. ♻️Repost this to help other people recognize the need for proactive career management #CareerGrowth #Leadership #ChangeManagement #ProfessionalDevelopment #WorkplaceAdaptability #careerstrategy

Organizations can get stuck in their transformation if people are just reassigned to new roles, like product owner or manager, without the right kind of support. We’ve all seen it. The executive team announces an Agile transformation. The big consulting companies come in with Power Points. And–wham–overnight a whole bunch of people who have never done any product-related job before are suddenly declared “product” people and thrown into the cold to fend for themselves. Sure, there are books, classes, and certification programs. But that stuff barely scratches the surface. There is confusion and frustration on every team. Some people do their best to just muddle through. Others ask lots of questions in every meeting. Still others think they know everything already, and just charge ahead with all their misconceptions. But be careful. The problem isn’t just a lack of clear definition of individual roles, although that is a part of it. What’s more important is that teams–cross-functional balanced teams–need to learn to work together in a new way during a transition. And that takes time. Even if the product person in question is super clear about how their new role works, the rest of the team may not be. Remember, product development is a team sport. There needs to be flexibility and overlap between roles, shared responsibility, not strict hand-offs between roles. You don’t just do your part and throw the output over the wall to the next workstation. We’re not building Model Ts here. Yes, a lot of people have to change their  jobs for any organization to transition from one way of working to another. It’s the leaders’ job to manage that transition. Transitions must be both top-down and bottom up. But the top-down part can’t just be imposing a new framework. Instead, the leadership has to get involved in helping to define the transition organically, supporting each team and individual in learning their place in the new world in real time. That’s not a one-and-done project. Leaders have to stay involved, be consistent in their messaging, provide budget, time, and other forms of support, until it’s clear that everyone has adapted to the new ways of working. Designing a transition and helping leaders carry it out is one of our key focus areas here at Startup Patterns. If your team is struggling with new roles and responsibilities, send me a message and we'll talk about how to get you unstuck.

News reports have been multiplying, naming new managing partners and practice leaders, newly crowned at law and consulting firms nationwide. But will these new leaders succeed? To make leadership succession work, here are a few patterns I've seen lead to success. 👑 1. Communication is critical. Surveys show people don't leave firms simply for the money but in large part, because they don’t like the culture. Communicate and act upon those values that comprise your firm’s culture. Be transparent by explaining leadership transitions and why they happen. If you leave a void of not communicating, the people you lead will develop their own stories of why changes are taking place. They may not be the fairytales 🧚♀️ you expect. 👑 2. Strategic plans and practice plans are essential in running a professional service firm, but unless the plans use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) and a plan to achieve their objectives, you can bet they won't work. Those firms that do the correct type of planning are the ones that see results.  Help your new leaders learn how to develop plans. 👑 3. A business development focus is essential. It's great that the firm is in a good revenue position, but deals close and litigations are resolved. Firm leadership needs to continue to look ahead, anticipate current client needs, excel at how those are being fulfilled, and create new growth areas for the firm. One indication of being a growth-oriented firm is to look at how closely the firm's leadership is aligned with the marketing/business development leadership. 👑 4. Look at your lawyers and their new roles. Before a partner leads a practice group, be clear about their new-job expectations and provide them with coaching. Before your youngest associates work with clients, they should be taught how the firm operates and what a client's mindset is like. Set people up for success by collaborating on the direction you want them to take and supporting them with the proper resources. 👑 5. Know how to make change. I've heard of firm leaders who know little about change management lose a string of keystone partners simply because they themselves lack good management skills. One of the most critical leadership tools is knowing how to explain organizational change and making that change methodically and sensibly. Those firms that know how to do it are leading the pack in recruitment, retention, and revenue. Growing talent is important. Providing talent with the resources and support to grow is essential. #successionplanning #practicemanagement #plans #businessdevelopment #marketing