When a leader parts ways with your company, they leave behind more than their business cards and squeaky office chair.
The space they occupied quickly gets filled with questions and concerns. If these aren’t managed in the right way, more of your coworkers may decide to pack up their knickknacks and change their LinkedIn status.
Moments like these call for more than just strategy and logistics; they need empathy and understanding.
It can be difficult — especially when circumstances are complex. But some tried-and-true approaches can be applied to nearly every situation.
Start with empathy
In the initial aftermath, it’s natural to focus on the business impacts: the unfinished projects, the vacant chair in meetings, the overflowing but unmanned inbox.
But while all these things are important, something else matters more: the people left in the wake of this change. How are they coping? What are their thoughts, fears and needs?
Answering these questions first isn’t just a matter of good people management. It’s the cornerstone of maintaining a strong, resilient culture.
For teams who are directly affected, break the news face to face.
No one wants to hear the news that their boss is gone through a corporate email sent to 8,000 other people. This approach sends a very specific message: “You’re not worth the time it takes to meet.”
Instead, meet with team members in person and, when possible, one at a time. Create a safe space for them to ask questions and come prepared with answers. If you don’t have all the answers, be honest.
Don’t be afraid to say, “That’s a great question. Let me find that out for you.”
People will respect honesty over evasion every time.
Prepare for questions (especially the hard ones)
Remember when we said, “…come prepared with answers” earlier? It’s worth repeating.
There’s nothing more unsettling than a leadership change announcement that feels off the cuff.
Before you share the news, make a list of questions you might be asked — and don’t skip the curveballs. In some instances, an FAQ may come in handy.
Tell the story, or risk people making up their own
Vague announcements, or those riddled with corporate jargon, all have one thing in common — they leave room for interpretation. Just look at this excerpt from OpenAI’s initial announcement about Sam Altman:
“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”
These few sentences sparked a firestorm of conspiracy theories on social media. What does “not consistently candid” mean? Did they believe their leader was in the habit of lying to the board? About what? Was Altman building a terminator in a secret bunker? Are humanity’s days numbered?!
We feel for the team who had to field these types of questions from bloggers and journalists — it’s every comms professional’s nightmare. And while the board probably couldn’t disclose the exact reasoning behind Altman’s firing, we think their message left too much to the imagination.
Don’t sugarcoat it
There’s a difference between finding the silver lining and pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows.
For example, some companies position a leader’s termination as an “opportunity” for lower-ranking team members. “John may be gone, but that’s great news for your career path!”
At best, this comes across as insensitive. At worst, devious.
Striking the right balance between optimism and sincerity is key to preventing these kinds of misinterpretations.
Keep lines of communication open
Communications shouldn’t stop after the initial announcement. In the following days, weeks, months (even a year) you need to be there for your employees.
This means drafting messages that inform, engage and even inspire. Here are a few topics and tactics to get you started.
| Topics | Tactics |
|---|---|
| Follow-up meetings to answer questions |
|
| Updates on team member roles and responsibilities |
|
| Celebrating team successes |
|
| New team member announcements |
|
There actually is a bright side
While changes in leadership are always challenging, they provide an opportunity to reinforce your company’s values and become stronger.
With empathy, honesty and a little bit of strategy, you can turn a moment of uncertainty into a milestone of growth.
When a leader parts ways with your company, they leave behind more than their business cards and squeaky office chair.
The space they occupied quickly gets filled with questions and concerns. If these aren’t managed in the right way, more of your coworkers may decide to pack up their knickknacks and change their LinkedIn status.
Moments like these call for more than just strategy and logistics; they need empathy and understanding.
It can be difficult — especially when circumstances are complex. But some tried-and-true approaches can be applied to nearly every situation.
Start with empathy
In the initial aftermath, it’s natural to focus on the business impacts: the unfinished projects, the vacant chair in meetings, the overflowing but unmanned inbox.
But while all these things are important, something else matters more: the people left in the wake of this change. How are they coping? What are their thoughts, fears and needs?
Answering these questions first isn’t just a matter of good people management. It’s the cornerstone of maintaining a strong, resilient culture.
For teams who are directly affected, break the news face to face.
No one wants to hear the news that their boss is gone through a corporate email sent to 8,000 other people. This approach sends a very specific message: “You’re not worth the time it takes to meet.”
Instead, meet with team members in person and, when possible, one at a time. Create a safe space for them to ask questions and come prepared with answers. If you don’t have all the answers, be honest.
Don’t be afraid to say, “That’s a great question. Let me find that out for you.”
People will respect honesty over evasion every time.
Prepare for questions (especially the hard ones)
Remember when we said, “…come prepared with answers” earlier? It’s worth repeating.
There’s nothing more unsettling than a leadership change announcement that feels off the cuff.
Before you share the news, make a list of questions you might be asked — and don’t skip the curveballs. In some instances, an FAQ may come in handy.
Tell the story, or risk people making up their own
Vague announcements, or those riddled with corporate jargon, all have one thing in common — they leave room for interpretation. Just look at this excerpt from OpenAI’s initial announcement about Sam Altman:
“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”
These few sentences sparked a firestorm of conspiracy theories on social media. What does “not consistently candid” mean? Did they believe their leader was in the habit of lying to the board? About what? Was Altman building a terminator in a secret bunker? Are humanity’s days numbered?!
We feel for the team who had to field these types of questions from bloggers and journalists — it’s every comms professional’s nightmare. And while the board probably couldn’t disclose the exact reasoning behind Altman’s firing, we think their message left too much to the imagination.
Don’t sugarcoat it
There’s a difference between finding the silver lining and pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows.
For example, some companies position a leader’s termination as an “opportunity” for lower-ranking team members. “John may be gone, but that’s great news for your career path!”
At best, this comes across as insensitive. At worst, devious.
Striking the right balance between optimism and sincerity is key to preventing these kinds of misinterpretations.
Keep lines of communication open
Communications shouldn’t stop after the initial announcement. In the following days, weeks, months (even a year) you need to be there for your employees.
This means drafting messages that inform, engage and even inspire. Here are a few topics and tactics to get you started.
| Topics | Tactics |
|---|---|
| Follow-up meetings to answer questions |
|
| Updates on team member roles and responsibilities |
|
| Celebrating team successes |
|
| New team member announcements |
|
There actually is a bright side
While changes in leadership are always challenging, they provide an opportunity to reinforce your company’s values and become stronger.
With empathy, honesty and a little bit of strategy, you can turn a moment of uncertainty into a milestone of growth.
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