How to Successfully Move Your Employees Through a Transitional Time

Whether it’s a merger, a sale, or a significant round of layoffs, the way a manager acts during a transitional time is crucial, as your behavior has a significant impact on the staff members you oversee. Major changes at work are never easy, but here are some ways you can make them as smooth as possible:

Remember that not all information needs to be shared with the entire staff

When you’re managing during a transitional time, discretion is important. People are flustered enough as is, so sharing every single detail and piece of information you receive often does more harm than good. You don’t want to leave your employees completely in the dark, but you also don’t need to be giving them news updates every five minutes. Make it a point to sort through the information on your own, figure out what’s essential, and share only those details. This prevents confusion and stops the team from getting overwhelmed.

Keep the focus on short-term goals

During a major change within your company, it’s easy to get swept away and lose sight of daily and weekly goals, thus causing productivity to plummet. As a manager, your job is to keep your team on track during this chaotic time. While it’s natural for your employees to be focused on the changes ahead, reinforce that the main goal is always to accomplish the daily and weekly tasks that keep the company moving. Don’t let the emphasis shift, and don’t let people get distracted, especially by rumors about what may or may not be happening during the transitional time.

Leave lines of communication open

Your employees will have questions (and possibly concerns) as things change within the organization. In order to keep morale high, make sure that you keep lines of communication open. Even if you don’t have all of the answers they need, make yourself available to talk with team members, illustrating that you’re there for support and care about their concerns. This helps to squash panic and keeps everyone on board, even during a potentially stressful time.

Transitional periods are never easy for a business, but when a manager acts carefully and with employees’ best interests in mind, this time period becomes easier to handle. These kinds of careful, well-thought-out actions keep morale within the office high, which is essential.

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