How would you rank your company on its handling of communication when change happens within the ranks? Departures at the executive leadership or C-suite level occur at some organizations more often than others. But whether you’re in an organization with higher turnover, or have top positions filled with company veterans, some organizations excel in times of uncertainty and change, and others fall flat. What can you do as a leader at any level to insure your team feels supported through your company’s ups and downs?
Go beyond the LinkedIn profile or resume of the incoming leader
If the change in leadership is a result of a promotion from within, as a known entity, there could be a higher level of trust and existing visibility to build on. It is easier for managers to give context to their teams about what “wins” the new leader has had during his or her tenure at the company, and might even have a personal story to share about a time they worked together. Sometimes it can feel like nepotism when an internal individual is promoted versus hiring from the outside. So if you can give some insight into what the hiring process was like, or what other candidates were considered, it can go a long way to making employees feel like the new leader was the right person for the job, not just the next person in line.
If the new leader is coming from outside the organization and you weren’t involved in the interview process or don’t have a lot of detail to give your team about the selection process, tap into your network to see if anyone you’re connected to has any insight to share. You might be surprised at what you find out when you reach out to a couple of your connections on LinkedIn that have career overlap at the same company, or knew of one another in their industry.
Offer transparency behind the reason for the change
Another common challenge for turnover in the executive leadership or C-Suite team is related to the reason the individual is departing. Oftentimes, it’s not the leaders’ choice to leave, and due to privacy concerns and employment laws, only certain information can be shared. Resist the temptation to engage in office gossip or speculation, and get a statement from your Human Resources Director about what you can tell your team. Be real with your team, allow them to share their feelings, but don’t dwell on the departure. Instead, shift the conversation when appropriate to give your team information or support around what will happen next.
Suggest leveraging technology to include remote employees
Sometimes the employees that don’t come to the main office everyday are the last ones to find out about change. If part of your team is working remotely, you likely have already found a platform for video meetings and other online tools for file sharing and data sharing. If there are other managers who aren’t using these tools, and there isn’t a company wide push to use technology to bring teams together, you can lead by example. You could explain to the new leader that you’d like to provide a forum for your team to virtually meet. -If the new addition to leadership is up for the virtual meeting, if you can, allow remote participants to submit questions in advance or in real-time to make the meeting more interactive for the employees who aren’t in the room.
Tribe’s national research determined that 72% of employees of large companies want to hear directly from management. Over 84% of them say they don’t hear from corporate management enough. If you’re in a position to try to bridge that gap, you have the potential to look like a manager that sees the big picture, and contribute to the company’s overall success.
Another communication strategy to suggest that leverages technology is to set up channels for ongoing leadership communication and access, such as a blog, regular all-company town halls, and monthly digital “ask me anything” style meetings. Even if Senior leadership isn’t quick to adopt some of these strategies, consider integrating them into your weekly or monthly meetings with your remote employees.
Hopefully your C-suite realizes that mobilizing and engaging employees is something only a leader can do, and it’s worth the effort in the long run. If your company’s Senior leaders do not understand the correlation between genuine internal communications and employee engagement, you are not alone, this is an all too common problem. However, you have the tools to build authenticity in your internal communications with your own team. Provide transparency, leverage technology to drive inclusion of remote team members, and try to give information that goes beyond the new leaders’ LinkedIn profile. Communication about change in your organization matters more now than ever, and no matter where you fall on the organizational chart, you can be part of driving the way information is shared to spur change for the good.