Strategies For Navigating Team Changes Smoothly

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.👇

For the second time in a week, I've spoken with a recently hired, early career Data Analyst who suddenly was asked to take over management of a team.  Here's what I advised... 🔸 Clarify roles, priorities, and expectations Unexpected changes are often stressful, both for you and your team. Have an open discussion with your new supervisor re: the main things they want you and the team to accomplish in the short and medium terms, and how they will evaluate yours and the team's performance, and share that w/ the team. 🔸 Your team's development and success is now your primary focus You were probably just getting used to having your own slate of analyses. Now those projects, even the most important ones, become secondary priorities to leading your team. But don't try to do two full-time jobs - that is a surefire path to burnout and unhappiness. In the conversation with your supervisor, discuss how you can offload or delay some of the work that was on your plate to make sufficient time to manage your team. 🔸 Talk honestly with your team about your lack of experience Be open that you weren't expecting to be in this role, and have a lot to learn. However, stress that you are fully committed to the job, and will work together with them to ensure they have access to the knowledge and resources they need to do their jobs well. 🔸 Open door, but come prepared If your team needs a fair amount of technical direction, indicate your willingness to always have those conversations, but that anyone bringing a technical problem to you have tried three things first to solve it. Learning how to solve problems on your own is a great skill, and sometimes too open a door can inhibit that learning. 🔸 Stress the importance of sharing information and model that behavior People get most stressed when they feel they don't know what's going on. Establish clear communications, and update your team regularly re: what you know. Also, there's tremendous value in peer coaching and learning. Establish opportunities and structures for the team to share information and learn from each other. 🔸 Pay attention to managing up Set up a regular check-in with your manager to ask/answer any questions, inform them of the progress of the team, alert them to any issues/problems on the horizon, etc. 🔸 Get some outside coaching You will probably have some issues that would benefit from discussing with an external coach. Some forward-thinking organizations have this support structure in place for new managers. If yours doesn't, consider investing in it yourself. 🔸 Accept that you and your team will make mistakes Probably a lot of them. However, if you put the interests of your team first, always be honest and transparent with them (and expect that in return), and take responsibility when make a mistake, people will give you a lot of leeway, and will work hard to support you. Be sure to take time to celebrate your team's successes along the way. Good luck! #career  

We don’t resist change. We resist not knowing where we’ll land. Most pushback is rational. We hold on to what’s worked because the next step isn’t clear. If we don’t see the logic, If it doesn’t feel safe to try we stall. Every time. The job isn’t to “manage resistance.” It’s to de-risk what’s ahead. Here are 7 strategies that have helped my teams (and me) move through change faster: 1. Model it first → If leaders don’t go first, nothing moves. → We follow behavior, not slide decks. 2. Share the why, not just the timeline → Don’t wait for the perfect plan. → Share what’s changing, what’s at stake, and what we’re betting on. 3. Involve the people closest to the work → Real alignment doesn’t come from top-down decisions. → It comes from early input. 4. Make the first step feel doable → We don’t need the full blueprint. → Just a clear first move we can act on with confidence. 5. Train for what’s different → Belief ≠ readiness. → We resist when we don’t feel equipped. 6. Name what’s really going on → Resistance often hides fear or confusion. → Ask early. Ask directly. Don’t let it build. 7. Show it’s working and work hard on what’s not → Small wins build trust. → But trust grows faster when we’re honest about what still needs fixing. Most of us try to scale with complexity. But the real unlock? We simplify. That’s how we move forward - together. * * * I talk about the real mechanics of growth, data, and execution. If that’s what you care about, let’s connect.