Are You Managing Redundancies or Change in Your Workplace?

 

Job losses and change can be a difficult and tumultuous time for everyone. It affects people on many levels and can be challenging to manage. Managers often have to make difficult decisions impacting people they know well, hold information confidential for long periods of time and yet continue ‘business as usual’.

 

Here are some tips about managing through periods of change which came from discussions with some awesome leaders in the resource sector:

 

• You are a role model, so its important you model the behaviour you want from your crew.
• Really take time to talk and listen to people’s concerns. You don’t necessarily have to solve the problem. Listening is powerful!
• Encourage people to take charge of the things they can control. Much unnecessary stress is caused by worrying about things you can’t control. Postpone those worries!
• During times of change and uncertainty you need to be more available to people to support them and manage issues.
• Spend more time on the ground, being visible, checking in with people daily.
• Crew may need more direction from you, help to stay focused and motivated and you may need to be checking that work is being completed and minds are on the job much more so than usual.
• Take one day at a a time, set clear expectations and goals for the day so that people know exactly what is to be achieved and steer focus back to the immediate plan.
• Talk about the ‘elephants in the room’ e.g. ‘this maybe very hard for those of you that are leaving to be hearing about future plans’.
• Ask questions and comment on what you are observing ‘you don’t seem to be concentrating and are taking much longer than usual. ‘Do you want to tell me what’s going on’. ‘ You seem very angry and negative’.
• If you have crew who are particularly negative and challenging and affecting morale generally discuss with your manager/HR options as giving them a day off to look for jobs, taking annual leave, or unpaid leave maybe an option to manage this difficult notice period.
• Everyone has ‘tipping points’ so make sure you are looking out for this in your crew and taking care of yourself!
• It is important to debrief, vent, get support and TALK about how this is for you as a manager.
• Get support from other leaders or supervisors. Find opportunities to meet together and share the challenges, but importantly ideas and tips for dealing with them.Someone else may have had the exact same issue and found a good way through. It’s OK to ask for help!
• Behind some of the challenging behaviour you maybe managing with ‘disgruntled’ employees there maybe a story. It maybe that ‘acting up’ and being angry is a cover and the only coping mechanism they have to fall on. Take time to try and find out what’s behind it all.
• Sometimes the quiet ones are struggling most. Monitor and be alert to signs and symptoms such as changes in behaviour which are out of character and encourage people to look out for each other. It could be a mate that might alert you to the fact someone isn’t going well.
• This is a high risk time in terms of mental health and wellbeing. Its loss and grief on many levels and may come on top of other issues people are dealing with in life or trigger other earlier losses already experienced such as the death of a loved one.
• Emotional turmoil and preoccupation impacts on physical safety and risks of accidents and injury are high.
• Rumours and stories maybe rife, so in meetings regularly ask to hear about them so you can respond. This also might enable someone to raise an issue as a ‘rumour’ they’ve heard! (i.e. one step removed).
• Encourage people to challenge rumours and speculation and seek answers from the appropriate person i.e. someone who is in a position who knows and can provide the facts.
• Be honest and authentic. Trust may have been undermined and needs rebuilding. Share what you know about changes and tell them when you don’t know. Some communication is better than no communication even if it is ‘no more information as yet’.
• People often get ‘stuck’ on the small stuff and that which affects them. Help them to understand it in the context of the bigger picture and the reasons behind decisions.
• As leaders we often don’t realise what people don’t know. More information/communication is better then less. Repeating information is not a bad idea as it sometimes takes a few goes to really be heard or sink in.
• Make sure information does move top down and bottom up and doesn’t get ‘stuck’ in the middle!
• If relevant consider rearranging the physical environment and work space to accommodate the new and smaller teams. Nothing worse than looking at empty desks and offices where mates used to sit!
• Ask how people are, but be aware that it is often ‘automatic’ to say ‘good’ or ‘OK’. Ask open ended questions to find out more e.g. ‘what plans do you have?’, ‘How is this affecting you?’, ‘How has your partner/family/wife/husband taken it?’
• Encourage people to use EAP (Employee Assistance Programs) and ensure they have a card or brochure. We know there is stigma around seeking help and using a counselling service so if you are able to share the fact you have been for counselling or know some that have and its been helpful you could be going a long way to reducing stigma!
• Value people; praise and encouragement is not to be underestimated. It takes very little time to say ‘thank you’ or ‘that’s a great job you have done’ or send an email, but it can make an enormous difference to an individual. People respond much better to positive feedback than negative and it builds confidence, trust and a positive team culture.