Consultant Q&A
W. Pearl Maxwell Responds:
Keeping employees motivated and positive in the face
of restructuring and probable downsizing is a lofty goal,
especially in a small company where everyone might know
each other. Those who are not fearful about losing their
jobs may be concerned for the welfare of coworkers and
friends. The most effective tool for reducing fear and
anxiety is information. Employees need to receive an
honest account of the restructuring effort. They need to
have an honest account of the endeavor’s scope, the
reasons the effort is necessary and the long-range plans
of the company. A key factor in getting employees to stay
positive and motivated is to expose them to the
company’s vision. They must believe that this is an
effort to reach a goal, not a reaction to uncertainty by
the company’s leaders.
A predictor of how employees will respond to
restructuring is their level of trust in
management’s ability to lead. If your
organizational culture is one of mutual trust and
respect, employees are more likely to see restructuring
as a difficult but necessary step to ensure the
company’s success. Otherwise, this effort is likely
to be seen as just another example of management’s
confusion and/or lack of direction. In either case, the
feelings and fears of the employees must be acknowledged
and validated.
It is normal to encounter a period of grieving and loss
of productivity when downsizing becomes necessary. The
goal is to help employees deal with their emotions and
then move to the business of successfully dealing with
the reality of the restructured workplace.
Restructuring attained its Machiavellian
reputation for the ways in which it is accomplished more
than the final outcomes of the efforts. Stories of
employees receiving termination notices by voice mail, or
returning from lunch to find their desks cleaned out and
being escorted from the building by security come
flooding back at the mere mention of the word
restructure.
Research tells us that feeling appreciated is
very high on the list of things that are important to
most employees. Many companies tout the premise that
employees are their most important assets, but evidence
to support this belief is often absent during a
restructure. Employees need to know that they are
appreciated and will be treated with dignity and respect.
They also need to feel that they are a part of the
organization. Open and honest sharing of information is
the way to help employees feel respected and
included.
Lastly, it is important for employees to feel
that help will be available if there is indeed a
downsizing. They will want to know if out placement
services will be provided, how much notice will be given
before termination and other issues relevant to
short-term financial planning. Providing information
about the kinds of support mechanisms that will be
available if needed will allow the workforce to use the
energy that might otherwise be channeled into worry about
the future into productivity and effectively helping the
company and themselves do the things that are necessary
to succeed in the future. Remember, there is no
substitute for clear and honest communication when
attempting to bring about change.
W. Pearl Maxwell, Ph.D., is a Senior
Consultant with Advanced Management Services, Inc. Her
firm consults and trains in continuous improvement,
project management and management development. Pearl
focuses on integrating quality principles into project
and organizational development practices and the synergy
of people, process and technology. She can be reached at
info@amsconsulting.com.
John Runyan
Responds
March 2001 News for a
Change Homepage
Issue Highlight —
Someone To Watch Over Me
With A Little Bit
Of Luck
