Being human to manage organisational change

You must first be human to manage organisationalchange

© XuelingTan production

2Baseman

This IS NOT a presentation with jargons and statistics, and methodology. You can find these elsewhere.

This IS a presentation featuring STORIES of people who have experienced divestitures. Allow yourself to feel to help others

RESPOND, NOT REACT.

NOTE TO READERS


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M&A Story #1A regular employee

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InternetNews of the sale and potential buyers is published on a number of sites, some trusted others not

SupportFamily members and friends start sending messages of concern

ChatsColleagues chat over the company messaging service , then decide it is best to talk over coffee

MailA series of professionally crafted e-mails start filling the Inbox while out for coffee. A town hall has been scheduled

DrinksPeople seated around you start logging off their computers and head for the pubs. It is 4pm


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M&A Story #1A regular employee (continued)

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NewspapersThings start getting real. News of the sale start featuring on the papers

QuestionsAt home, loved ones ask “Do you still have a job?”, “Will your role change and when?”, “Maybe you should start looking elsewhere.” . You have no answers

Manager 1:1Your manager has been quiet for some time. You have been waiting for your monthly 1-1 to ask the same questions posed by your loved ones. He offers a scripted answer

More MailsMore mails start filling the Inbox requesting documentation and scheduling department briefs and meet-the-new-boss sessions and training

AnnouncementsThey announce who your boss will be, confirm your role remains largely unchanged but your title on the business card changes


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M&A Story #1A regular employee (continued)

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Manager 1:1Your manager schedules a 1:1 equipped with answers to FAQs. HR sits in for the meeting. You have lots of questions but kept pretty quiet with a stranger around

Backing UpYou start checking your file for useful material. You can’t help but remember all the effort that has gone into creating them

LostFiles have been screened. You are told you are not permitted to bring along the files you had painstakingly created and saved

ExhaustedDays before the big move, you are exhausted. You decide to hope for the best, and deal with the mess when you get to the other side

A New DayA day before the move, you leave your computer and access card on the desk. Freshly printed stationery and name cards await you at your new desk


By NO CHOICE of mine, I’ve had to

change my namecard 3 times

A regular employee


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M&A Story #2A member of the task force

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Manager 1:1Your manager says you are one of the few selected to join a programmeteam tasked to sell the business you have been a part of. It will be a challenge and you have never said “no” to a challenge

Time FliesYou work tirelessly to complete each sale. Friends are moving on but not you. You have been asked to stay on. You do so more than once, and there is no promise of an end date

NeglectedOne of the leaders asked if HR has been in touch. On hearing HR has not spoken to you about roles, he requests for them to speak to you

UndervaluedFinally HR speaks to you, but with miniscule roles because you do not have the product knowledge of the retained business. You have become an amateur

Time Is UpThey give you an end date, finally. You look forward to a well deserved break and a new opportunity elsewhere


I wonder why they even bothered to

offer me those TINY ROLES!

A member of the task force


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Restructuring Story #1Anonymous chat

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InternetOnce again, news of impending job cuts makes its way to the Internet. It is starting to become a norm to expect such news to hit the WWW first before your Inbox

MailsMinutes after the news is published, you receive a mail from corporate communications inviting you join an online chat to clarify doubts

Online ChatYou have the option to stay anonymous and so you do. Questions flowed. On the other end were Managing Directors discussing who should take each question. You sensed the pauses

Hard TruthAnonymous decides to ask if voluntary redundancy can be an option. The response was a prompt “No”. Silence followed

Some AssuranceThe chat clarified the generic questions. No promises were made and who could blame them


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Restructuring Story #2The bride-to-be

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Wedding BellsShe tells you of the wedding she has been planning for. While clearly tired from the weekly flights to juggle wedding preparation and work, you sense the excitement of the soon-to-be bride

RumoursYou heard through indirect sources this bride-to-be may lose her job. Her last day remains unknown. Her manager has not heard either so you dismiss the possibility the news may be true

Bad NewsManager of the bride-to-be sends a message on the company chat one day. HR and security has escorted the bride-to-be out of the door. Her belongings are being packed

SecretsThe manager does not say much for some time. It has become clear why her manager has been more distant than usual. She was visibly unhappy she was kept in the dark

GoodbyeThe manager decides to leave for personal reasons soon. You cannot help but wonder if the bride-to-be’s job could have been saved if the company knew of her plans © XuelingTan production

So he KNEW he was letting her go, and DID NOT TELL

ME …Manager of bride-to-be


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Restructuring Story #3The secret squirrel

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TownhallThe leaders are actively explaining the firm’s commitment amidst the negative press. You know nothing good can follow from a visit from global leaders

The PlanYour manager calls you aside. He tells you the management team needs help to articulate the rationale and track progress of their restructuring plan

Just NumbersEveryday some department head will pay you a visit in an office to discuss who goes when. You realise the process of elimination is not all that complicated as long as the numbers make sense

The ListYou are making a list and it is not for Santa, but you are checking it twice because any mistake can mean someone gets the boot by mistake. All files are password protected

Time Is UpOver time the termination process becomes a well oiled machine. Those around have accepted you are the secret squirrel and cheekily ask when their time will be up. You are numb and decide it is time to go


I KNEW and COULD NOT SAY anything because the names kept

changing …Secret squirrel


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What Is Going On In Their HeadsAfter all the buying, selling and restructuring

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They Keep SecretsThe leaders decide the fate of our teams and leave us in the dark. I had no chance to say goodbye

I Am Better Off Reading FAQsManagers do not know much more than I do. It is just a tick-in-the-box exercise to speak to each of us

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Internet Is RightThe internet has been right so far and has been the first to deliver the news

It’s Just BusinessThey change my “identity” and my job like it means nothing. I only have answers for clients but none for me or my loved ones

5 Internal Mobility Is A JokeToo many people and too few roles during tough times

The Employee

They Can’t Handle The TruthThe fate of these people have not been sealed. They may feel insecure or unduly stressed if I told them of the work-in-progress plans

Managers And HR Can Handle It. No?Managers should know how to handle 1-1 conversations else engage HR. FAQs serve only as a guide for standard answers. Thereafter I assume the managers speak to their teams on an ongoing basis

I Have To Address The PressThe media needs to be briefed to prevent speculations. That takes time. I will address the company in due course …

It’s Just A Title On A CardTheir compensations and job grades do not change. We have just changed the logo, the business title on the card but functional titles stay the same

It’s Really Up To You To Find Your RoleIf you have established a network, you should be able to be able to find your next opportunity. Not sure, ask HR or manager

The Big Boss


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The Big Question Is “When”It is also the hardest to answer

More often than not, companies defer changes to compensation till after thedeal is done or restructuring is complete. So say that once, don’t overemphasise it and save it for the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The focusshouldn’t be on money.

The answers most seek pertain to “When”. That is also the hardest question toanswer because plans can be rather fluid till the very end. When deferredindefinitely, leaders and managers find themselves having to deal withreactions rather than responses.

Below are some of the answers many seek and will not find in FAQs:• “When (will I know)”• “When (can I move on if I don’t have a job)”• “When (do I have to decide if I have a choice)”• “What (is my next role)”• “Where (is my next opportunity)”• “How (much will I be compensated if I relocate)”• “Who (leads)”• “Who (else stays)”


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Say “Thank You” and mean it. All exits leave a scar. Help them heal by ending on

better terms with a handshake, testimonial and a referral if possible

Gratitude

Respect the managers by letting them know if their teams will be affected. You placed them in those positions to

develop their teams. At least let them know the decision, or even better, give them the chance to shape the outcome

Respect

Be open and transparent with what you know and do not know. People can sense messages that are

deliberately vague and will derive their own beliefs

Authenticity

Motivation is at a all time low when one feels he has no choice in what and when

something happens to him and around him. Working through options, however few, allows employees time to respond

and accept

Choice

Let them know news, especially public news, is coming. Never let the Internet be the source of truth

Surprise-Free

People seek answers that pertain to themselves from people they respect and relate. Make general information available but also make time to have 1-1 conversations preferably in the absence of HR

Understanding

Make internal opportunities equally available via a transparent application process. Leaders need more certainty in retention rates during tough times than they choose to believe

Opportunity

Do not trivialise what goes on a name card. Most have worked hard for the titles and some take pride in the logos and corporate identity

Identity

GR

ACI

O

US

After All That Has Happened Employees responded the best when the company was G.R.A.C.I.O.U.S.


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You Can’t Be A People Manager OvernightPeople managers leverage open and honest relationships built over time

The truth can hurt. Many change management guides will suggest line managers as the preferred messenger. Managers who have not been “peoplemanagers” will find it particularly challenging to initiate difficult conversations. They have no starting point … and they will not admit it. They just know it willbe awkward to start having those conversations when times are rough.

Leaders need to be clear what types of managers they have. That is critical to developing the communication and change management plan. Your companycan still be G.R.A.C.I.O.U.S. through someone who is respected and relatable.

I have not been discussing personal development plans with my team members

I have no idea what their personal challenges are outside of work

Performance reviews are the only times I have 1-1 conversations with my team members

Things were going just fine when the stronger members supported the underperformers

They will react badly if I told them so let’s not tell them too much. It will only invite more questions we do not have answers for

I do not have answers for them. I do not have answers for myself so let’s wait a little longer


18Baseman

It all starts with being human, and being honest with yourself and others sooner rather than later.

Be G.R.A.C.I.O.U.S.

SOUNDS SIMPLE?


Leadership & Management

Being human to manage organisational change