Leading with compassion through redundancies

At the heart of it:

• The role of a leader in challenging times is to lead an organization with grace, empathy and steadfastness.
• The foundation of strong leadership is built on the 3 C’s of competence, care and character.
• By realigning the organization’s vision for the future and reconnecting to the organization’s collective purpose, this is an opportunity for profound growth.
• In this journey of transformation, remember that every decision, every word, and every action shapes the future of your organization.

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Successful leadership turns challenging situations into an opportunity for profound growth.

There’s no nice way to put it—many organizations are letting go of valued employees in response to our global economic challenges. Balancing compassion for those affected while keeping the remaining team focused, maintaining morale, trust, and loyalty, is a delicate act of leadership.

As a leader, your role is to be at the helm, steering your organization through this turbulent time with grace, empathy and steadfastness. Your task is to lead everyone through it, and if you’re successful, the result is a more resilient organization on the other side.

But that’s easier said than done. Each organization has its unique nuances that must be taken into consideration; no two situations are the same. However, the foundation for all leadership, especially in turbulent times, is what we call the 3 C’s—competence, care and character.

Competence: Simply put, it’s your ability to do your job and do it well. If your employees can’t trust your ability to get the job done (i.e. be a strong leader and guide the organization through a restructure), you’ll lose their respect and company morale will be lost along with it.

Care: Each person wants to be seen beyond their contributions in their role. They want their wellbeing looked out for. To feel like you as a leader care about their dreams, hopes and aspirations. It’s showing that you care about each person not just in the capacity of an employee, but as an individual.

Character: Your employees want to know that you are acting in integrity, that you are someone they can follow, and that you are leading them to a good place. If your words, actions and values don’t align, how are they going to believe that you are trustworthy as a leader?

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What do the 3 C’s look like in practice during a restructure and redundancies?

• Clear communication: Transparency fosters trust. Begin by clearly communicating the reasons behind the restructuring. Lay out what employees can expect in the next coming weeks and share the timeline of when employees can expect each stage of the restructure to take place.
  
• Active listening: Restructures are naturally a period of anxiety and fear. Provide opportunities for open dialogue, such as an open door policy or more frequent town hall meetings. Give employees a chance to express their concerns and emotions. By attentively listening and responding thoughtfully, you help alleviate their fears and reengage them in your organization’s shared vision.
  
• Acknowledgment of contributions: Closing the chapter means recognizing the individual contributions those who are being made redundant have made to the organization. Take the time to honor their service, celebrate their achievements and how they have contributed to the success of the organization.
• Genuine support and care: Ask how you can support those being made redundant and follow through on their requests. Genuinely taking the time to ask and take action makes for a smoother transition and shows that the organization values every team member, past and present.
• Show the way forward: Share your vision of the future to the remaining employees and how your organization will emerge stronger, more resilient and ready to make a meaningful impact. Let your teams know what they can expect and any changes additional changes in the organization as the company aligns towards this new vision.
• Reminder of the organization’s values and mission: Reconnect employees to the organization’s collective purpose. What gets everyone excited? How does each person see themselves fitting into a thriving organization? Give them opportunities to discuss and share what these values and the mission means to them.
• A model for others: In times of restructuring, leading from a place of purpose and living by the organization’s core values becomes more important than ever. Exemplify resilience, adaptability and other behaviors and attitudes you wish to see in your organization.

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Ultimately, leading an organization through a restructure with competence, care and character turns a challenging situation into an opportunity for profound growth.

In this journey of transformation, remember that every decision, every word, and every action shapes the future of your organization. Lead with heart, inspire with vision, and build a culture where every individual feels valued and empowered to contribute their best. This is how you navigate the complexities of restructuring and emerge stronger, more united, and ready to face the future with confidence and purpose.