5 ways to manage organizational change and uncertainty

Organizational changes are becoming increasingly commonplace and 
frequent in today's dynamic business environment. Driven by mergers, acquisitions or internal restructurings, they bring about a period of change accompanied by uncertainty. Having gone through some such experiences, I have often found myself reflecting on how I responded to the challenges; what I did well and what could I have done better. My failures in some situations have been important developmental milestones in my career. Through all these experiences, I can think of sharing the following 5 key takeaways on managing organizational change and uncertainty:

1) Operating within your circle of influence: During periods of organizational change, there are many things that are happening that you know will impact you or your position, but most of them are just way beyond your influence. You spend hours fretting over the uncertainty, listen to the grapevine, trying to get the latest version of the impending new structure, and stress yourself no end. Sound familiar? There is truth in what a wise man said 'Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you a lot to do but doesn't get you anywhere'. And the worry stems from focusing your energy beyond your circle of influence. I have experienced less stress (and slept better) when I continued to focus on the projects I was driving vs the times I was spending my energy on speculating on what the change could look like.

2) Adapting deliberately to ambiguity: We have been trained over time to drive clarity at our work; clarity in strategy, clarity in roles and responsibilities, clarity in executional metrics and so on. Here is one situation where clarity does not work so well. Partially due to the confidentiality, and otherwise due to the real absence of answers early on in a mammoth exercise such as an M&A/restructuring. So how does one operate in an uncertain environment when one is trained in a business-as-usual mode to drive certainty? The answer may lie in recognizing the uncertain period as an alternate reality and adapting in a deliberate way to operate differently during this time. It's like a mental switch you turn on when you enter this phase, and turn off when things have stabilized post integration.

3) Anticipating and accelerating your learning: The change you experience can vary - in some cases your new role maybe completely different to your current role; at other times, your new role may remain similar to your current role, albeit, in a different operating environment. Whatever the case, a change is accompanied with the need of new learning - be it technical, process oriented or cultural - to successfully manage the change. And the faster one learns, the higher the chance of success. So, one needs to anticipate the kind of learning needed and work to accelerate that learning. For instance, if your company is going to be integrated into another bigger company, it would help you to learn about that company. Browse through its website. Learn about its history and culture. Speak to people you know who work there or may have worked earlier. And thus anticipate which could be the areas that you need to learn. When the day comes and the new role begins, try to get as many experiences you can to accelerate your learning. Spend time going through historical data, speaking to experts, meeting customers and stakeholders.

4) Networking & Exploring different options: Given the uncertainty of the outcome in an integration, it always helps to explore different options. Its important to have options even if you have a high certainty of getting a role that you would want, as things can change with time. At best, you can land a role better than what you would have got; at worst, you will be aware of the kind of roles you can get elsewhere. Dialling up networking, both internally and externally, is key to get to know the different options that may be suitable for you.

5) Staying grounded and humble: Such periods of change are great levellers and can potentially make or mar careers. A young bright leader could be appointed as the new boss in the new world order, and old vanguards could be swept away. In such circumstances, it's important to remain grounded and not treat a positive outcome as a triumph nor a negative one as a 'fait accompli'. The world is round and cycles repeat, so fortunes will change. The best way to deal is with a certain sense of equanimity and humility. Be grateful if things worked out for you; and be resolute and determined to carry on if they didn't.

Tamer El Sagheer

Skillinside