In my company, we have been notified today of a reorganization of the
company, with a closure of operations and relocation to Hungary. I am
at bit puzzled by the situation and how it is handled.
What would be the best strategy for a manager to inform and support
in the best way his/her staff ? At this stage, we have a missing line manager that does not seem to care about her staff.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Victor M d S
Drastic change in the oganization
The podcasts on "managing during mergers and acquisitions" has advice that would apply to any reorganization / turbulence. http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/08/managing-during-mergers-and-acquis…
A key recommendation in those casts is to be honest, and to share information. Tell the team what you know. Assume there are no "secrets."
You also need to articulate your plan: what specific actions you're going to take during the transition, and what you expect the outcomes to be. This gives them the sense that they are not adrift.
Sounds like a very tough situation. Keep us updated.
Good luck,
John
Drastic change in the oganization
Make sure you let staff know how they can ask follow-up questions as they occur. That could be a combination of scheduled forums, individual appointments, and/or an especially clear "open door" policy.
People absorb information at different rates. Questions about implications of the change may occur to some right away, and others need time to process.
And then, some people like to have their questions answered by watching their peers ask questions, while others are happy to ask for themselves, either individually or in group settings.
It just goes back to the understanding that "people are different" (not a bad time to brush up on DISC :) ), and the most effective leader during a time of transition is the one who accommodates as many different types as possible.
Good luck!
-Hugh