There’s nothing easy about right-sizing, even when it’s right
“People are at the heart of CVL’s mahi and we’re aware that many businesses needing our support in right sizing may also not be able to afford it. “Walking the talk” is core to our values and it seems appropriate to share our thoughts on how to navigate the emotions that are likely to come up as both the leader and the impacted redundee (is that a word?) if you are working through this process.”
Navigating the redundancy rollercoaster
If “pivot” was the word of 2020, then “right-sizing” appears to be the word heading into 2024. For Government there’s a clear post-election signal to reduce headcount, and for private businesses the recession has meant less demand on top of tough Covid years, and job losses are part of ensuring they remain commercially viable for those lucky enough to remain in business. There is a hope that we have hit the low and we’re on the up, but also a recognition that we’re still in a tough economic patch and it’s not a straight road out.
CVL has not been immune to this tricky economy, and we have recently received news of two significantly big shifts in some of our large-scale projects. This has resulted in the difficult decision to reduce the size of our team slightly to right-size for our current portfolio of work.
People are at the heart of CVL’s mahi and we’re aware that many businesses needing our support in right sizing may also not be able to afford it. “Walking the talk” is core to our values and it seems perfectly appropriate to share our thoughts on how to navigate emotions that are likely to come up as both the leader and the impacted redundee.
A word from Tam.
This is not my first redundancy rodeo; in fact I’ve made it a bit of a habit over my career to do myself out of roles when it’s been the right decision for a business. As an active part of the decision making, what still surprises me is the emotional rollercoaster that comes along with losing our jobs.
I want to acknowledge that right sizing is one of those times where both people and process are equally important. The process needs to be followed and becomes an anchoring point for the team in a time of instability, however I’m going to share more about the people side of things which can often be forgotten in the midst of running a process.
Expect the emotion, and note, it doesn’t necessarily get easier the more times you do it! I’ve found myself feeling the very normal emotions of grief, anger, sadness, hurt, hope, gratefulness, overwhelm, confusion, care and just plain tiredness! These are normal and do not mean you’re not strong or resilient, they mean you’re human and this is important to you. Each person will need something different to support them and for me it’s been a combination of connection with the team, disconnection for some space, brainstorming ideas with others, and brain-dumping my fears with a psychologist. Do what works for you, and workplaces, remember to support them. Equally a reminder that as leaders you’re fronting this and it’s a time where self-care is critical as the team need you to be available and able to hold the space for them, while often delivering hard news and feeling the feels. We know you’re human too, so please look after yourselves.
The existential crisis. An existential crisis, by definition, refers to the feelings and questions we can have around our personal identity and purpose in life. Losing a job that is so much part of our everyday is often the time these questions start up and they go right to the core of who we are and who we want to be. People often talk about them being a time to reset and reassess what’s important, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy thing to do or feel! I really encourage coaching from others at this point – having someone else hold the space for you to explore, question, challenge our assumptions, and help us to hope, has always added real value for me and often helped me transition better and faster into what’s next. For leaders, you may not be the best person to support a team member during this, but you can be present, answer questions, and remind the person what they’re great at.
Everyone is impacted. Having led many change initiatives I know that everyone is impacted. Leaders often focus on the people who are losing their jobs, but there’s a far more complex mix of emotions alongside this. People’s families are impacted, and it falls on the redundee to navigate this and often support those at home, there’s survivors guilt for those not impacted, instability across the team, and an increased pressure and concern around their own performance (“Am I next?”). For tight teams the redundee often ends up reassuring and supporting those who are staying, alongside their own emotions of leaving. Then there’s the clients, customers, and key relationships where the ripple effect is felt. Leaders, my advice is to plan for these wider impacts with clear communication, support, and acknowledgement. For everyone, this is a time for self-care so make the most of the support offered.
Panic, pragmatism and a plan. Panic is a common feeling for people being made redundant, and in my experience regardless of the role you’re in - from executives to frontline teams – the self-talk can be tough. What does this mean, how long do I have to find another job, the job markets soft at the moment, it’s coming into holiday season, what do I do….(spirals into overthinking). Pragmatism often balances the panic with thoughts like I get it, the logic and thoughtfulness is there, it’s the right choice in a situation no one wants, a lot of businesses are in the same boat at the moment. Balancing these two emotions can feel like being stuck on a seesaw, and the best piece of advice I’ve received is simply to do the next thing and what’s needed today as we all step through the process. For leaders, this is the time when having a clear process and plan helps as an anchor – we may not know our next role, but we know the next step and what to expect from here, which helps us make a personal plan.
Ask for help. Before I started at CVL asking for help seemed to be a permanent area for self-development. Thanks to the necessities of Covid and a collaborative CVL team where everyone helps everyone, I’ve become pretty good at this one now! Redundancy can bring up feelings of shame, not feeling good enough, and lead to isolating ourselves as a way of self-protection. I get it, I really do, and I encourage anyone in this space to reach out and ask for help. For those of you on the sidelines, offer help and lean in. For leaders, you can also feel like you’re carrying the weight on your shoulders when there is often a range of support for you also as you lead your team through – use it.
Reminder, exit like we induct. When people start a new role there’s often a celebratory vibe in a team, welcoming in the new talent, yet when people exit it can often feel just the opposite. I am someone who hates the farewell morning tea and will do all I can to avoid it, but I do believe in celebrating a person and their contribution in an authentic way that suits them. Leaders, what if we helped people leave with confidence, celebrating what they offer and helping to get their name out there? Air New Zealand did a wonderful job of this back in 2020, praising their people and letting others know they’d be lucky to have them. For those of us impacted, think about how you’d like to be as you transition? For me, I currently have no idea of what’s next but I’m clear on my intent to transition with grit, grace and gumption.
Do it right and make it happen. Change is a constant in today’s world and so every leader is likely to be in a place of restructures, right-sizing, and job losses at some point. My advice is to do it right by both the processes and the people – design and deliver a change experience you’ll be proud of, one that you’d want your kids/family/best friend to experience. Show your organisational values come to life in how you lead through this change and the experience can support both the people leaving and the people staying to be stronger for it. Leaders, then it’s your role to rebuild the organisation and make the aspirations you have from this change into a reality. No one wants to go through this pain, and have it not make a difference.
Be open to excitement. As we acknowledge the rollercoaster of redundancy you might need to trust me that there’s a point where the excitement of what’s next kicks in. Exploring new roles, life choices, creating new networks. I have never known what my next role might be, and something has always come up that’s added something new into my world. It’s sometimes been unexpected, or not what I might have planned, but my career is so much richer for it. Enjoy this feeling when it comes. For leaders, let your team process and know that the energy will also shift towards an exciting future you’re building together.
A word from Tracy, our CEO.
At Centre for Vision & Leadership we believe in authentic leadership. We have real conversations, with care. I run the business with full transparency, and everyone is involved and understands the numbers. We also practice what we teach, our CVL crew is one of the case studies we draw upon to help leaders and teams make sense of strategy, change and leadership. I am hugely grateful that I lead such an amazing team. They are talented, creative, committed and kind. They have done me proud as we have navigated this decision.
Our people are our special sauce at CVL, and although none of us want to say goodbye to George and Tam, I also know that there’s some lucky organisations who are going to get the opportunity to work with them in the very near future. In classic style both are continuing to add value to the work we’re doing as they transition from us into what’s next.
There’s nothing easy about right-sizing, even when it’s the right thing to do. If anyone else is in the hard position of needing to do the same, please reach out to chat. Yes, we offer formal support around this and some great change workshops, but sometimes all you need is a coffee with someone whose been there before and gets it.
From here we will keep moving forward. We will keep creating amazing experiences for leaders and teams, we will keep finding ways to lift capability and make the world of work better, we will keep being there for each other and our clients.
With a whole lot of aroha to our clients, our team, and especially George and Tam,
