Practice “Tough Love” when restructuring
Restructuring is always an important challenge for any business. Shivani Gupta shares how to make the tough decisions easier.
As leaders we should always be looking to make sure we have the right structures in place. We need to be seeking efficiencies and making sure our workplaces are responding to changing environments.
This can mean that some of your staff are no longer right for your business or they need to change roles or acquire additional skills.
Letting go of staff and “empires” is really hard to do. But hanging on to the wrong people can often mean you lose your frustrated, best performing staff.
When restructuring you need to take yourself out of the personal relationship and remind yourself that you are objectively making changes that will be in the best interests of your customers, your business and other staff.
In the case of poor performing staff, particularly if you have been working with them to improve their performance, there comes a time when you have to say “this isn’t working for either of us”.
Follow one of my tough love principles, “bolo” – speak the truth. Letting them go is being “tough” but you can show some “love” by helping them with a reference or advice on better career options or training. In many cases you can end up doing them a favour by setting them free.
When restructuring show some love to remaining staff members. They may be concerned for their colleague, uncertain of their own future or annoyed because there are now gaps impacting on them.
Talk to your remaining staff about why the decision to let people go or to change roles was necessary. Be clear about their performance and future. Ask them to identify any issues they can see from the changes and their proposed solutions to avoid them.
Watch my video blog on restructuring here.
Shivani Gupta is an author, key note speaker, and personal and business coach. She is a successful businesswoman and the founder and CEO of Passionate People Institute. Shivani has won several awards including Telstra Young Businesswomen of the Year. She has a passion for inspiring and challenging women to lead the life they want to live.
