It feels like an understatement to say that the world has been changing fast recently. Many organizations have been forced to take unexpected turns – downsizing, seeking new funding strategies, and adjusting expectations overall.

You might find yourself in a moment where the dust is starting to settle, and you and your organization are still standing, but somehow things don’t feel quite right. After a major disruption, organizations need to level set and re-set across all staff at all levels. That’s tough, but here are some practical tips to help you re-motivate your teams and keep the work moving.

Your organization isn’t over the hump until your people are ready.

Your organization might seem to be over the hump, easing into what looks like a steady state following some rough layoffs and restructuring. While senior leaders might be settling into this new normal and starting to feel optimistic again, I guarantee much of your staff is still reeling. Their teams have been torn apart, they’ve watched colleagues and friends depart, they’ve been on pins and needles worrying about whether they’re next, and they’re wondering where the organization is headed now.

Before you can move on and declare that you’ve made it into the next era, you still have some work to do: bring all of your people along. I’m not talking about a handful of listening sessions or a couple company-wide emails reassuring staff. Even offering mental health care (though that’s always a good idea) or holding an off-site retreat isn’t enough. It’s time to share the fundamentals that are making leadership see a light at the end of the tunnel, and be crystal clear about what has changed.

Communicate clearly about:

• The mission: Has anything changed fundamentally, or are you all still oriented around the same aspirations?
• The north star: Are you still working toward the same top line goals?
• Expectations generally: How will you be tracking success for the organization and for individual teams?
• Their role specifically: How has their role changed? What expectations are different?

Organizational leadership has a critical role to play in developing, disseminating, and defending the message, but the real key to success here is your managers.

For people to feel truly seen and reassured, they need their manager to communicate to them regularly and effectively, and to be committed to the company culture. All-staff meetings can help, but individual managers must bear the brunt of the load here. They know their staff, they likely have a sense for the individual and team-wide concerns, and they know how to communicate with their people effectively.

But just asking managers to step up to this challenge isn’t enough. Offer targeted training sessions to support managers as they approach individual and team staff conversations. Provide plenty of detailed information and guidance so managers know exactly what they’re being asked to communicate and why it matters. Ensure that managers have plenty of time to commit to guiding their staff and re-building their teams. Either take other work off their plates or make clear that this is a short-term demand on their time – and compensate them appropriately for the extra effort.

This is also the perfect opportunity to double down on your organizational culture. When times are tough, culture is the glue that will keep your best performers engaged and motivated. A rebuilding phase is the perfect time to recommit to the culture you want to be at the heart of who you are as an organization. Culture should be referenced explicitly in every communication and conversation, and it should be reflected in the new organizational approaches.

This might seem like a lot, but it’s manageable if you make it a priority. Taking a few key steps can be the difference between a successful turnaround and ongoing turmoil. Organizations that manage change well don’t necessarily do more, they just prioritize the right actions at the right times.

If your organization is struggling to successfully bring everyone over the hump and you could use a fresh perspective or some support truly getting to the next phase, let me know. I’d be happy to chat with you, no commitment and no charge.