Handling Restructuring at Work

Every now and again, organisations go through redundancies and restructuring.  Both experiences can be quite stressful and even traumatic for some.

But the fact of life is that for any thriving organisation, restructuring at least is an inevitable process.  That may not be of any comfort, when it is your department that is being restructured. 

I remember years ago, faced with this situation in the company I was working.  The restructuring was not just a few people playing musical chairs but a major overhaul.  

It seemed that the restructuring had come to cause havoc rather than take the company to the next level.  Many people at that time saw it all as unnecessary and devastating.

But does restructuring have to be like a tsunami when it happens?

Lets look at some of the fears we face when there is a major restructuring:

• What is my future going to be?  Will my position be safe in months or years to come?
• Will I get on with my new boss or colleagues?
• What new policies and change will the new boss bring?
• Will I be able to adapt?
• Will my new boss understand my ‘not so strong’ points and make allowances?
• Will they see me as valuable as my last boss did?
• …And also, there is the fear of the unknown

It is amazing, in times like this, that dreadful boss, does not seem so dreadful after all.

 That welcome change we wanted was not how we would now have had it.  Instead, we would rather have been in the one in control…e.g. making the decision to find a new job or role, instead of one being forced on us!

The first few days after the restructuring, is more of a fact finding mission.  Finding out from others who may have worked with your new boss some vital info on what they are simply like.  Imaginations run wild.  

I remember, having a new boss once.  By the time I had heard all the horror stories of meanness and the number of people she had sacked, I was convinced that I would be working for Hitler!

One thing we must realise however though…

…It is just not easy for the new manager or boss coming into the mold.  There may be well formed cliques that will try to resist them too.  They have to get to know all their employees, they have to make the much needed change that the company demands!!  

And that means breaking traditions and customs that have been in the company since pyramids were built.    They need to make their mark and there has to be growth.  

This means that they are faced with implementing that C word – CHANGE!

And you know we all like change…not!

7 things we can do to make restructuring as painless as possible…

1. Be positive.  If you want to not just survive but be an overcomer, you have to have an open, positive mind
2. Make up your own mind.  Be the one to make up your mind about someone than be influenced by the rumour mill.
3. Don’t be defensive.  Forget the inevitable, we have always done it this way mantra.  That era has ended.
4. Be open minded.  Every new manager or change will bring a new emphasis.  See this as working together for your good.  See what you can learn.  It will help build your experiences long term.
5. Embrace change.  Remember change is never easy but necessary.  You may have been in a comfort zone  without realising.  See this as a wake up call to discover new gifts and hidden talents in you.
6. Ask questions.  Sometimes the reason we feel so angry and uncomfortable with restructuring is because we fail to ask the right questions to the right people.  We ask our colleagues who are already angry and get angry responses.  If you need to speak to Human Resources confidentially then go ahead and do so.  
7. Separate your feelings from the feelings of others.  Sometimes we are angry, negative and so on,  because of the contagiousness of other people’s anger, negativity, etc.  Learn to separate your own feelings from those around you, even if you are in the minority.  It will keep you focused and sane!

And as for the boss that I thought would be a Hitler… far from it.  I really found favour with her so much that when I moved on, it was quite tearful for me.  

How have you handled restructuring?  Please share, like and comment!

About The Author

Zoe

Zoe met Eze (Chuck) in the 14th year of what turned out to be an 18 year ‘journey’ with mental illness. They got married less than a year of meeting with Zoe fully knowing Chuck had a diagnosis of mental illness. In the 18th year, Chuck defied the odds of mental illness. A consultant psychiatrist signed him off the mental health system with a bill of NO MENTAL ILLNESS. The consultant was so amazed by Chuck’s astonishing recovery that he even questioned how Chuck was diagnosed with mental illness all those years before, in the first place! Today Chuck is free from medication, its dependency and hospitalizations. Zoe’s award nominated book, DEFYING THE ODDS, chronicles the highs and ‘lows’ of this journey. Zoe, often writing from the standpoint of a caregiver, clearly understands that mental illness does not only affect an individual challenged with the disease, but also families, marriages and society as a whole.

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