Over the past six months, I’ve talked with many former colleagues and women leaders in IT about difficult changes happening in the workforce, including:
Mandated return to office.
Layoffs.
Reductions in force.
Doing more with fewer people.
And AI creating uncertainty about jobs and skills.
These changes are difficult to navigate and can take an emotional toll on your team—and on you as their leader.
Many times, these decisions come from senior leadership, and depending on your position, you may have little or no input into them.
And you may be trying to process the changes yourself.
But you’re the person your team looks to for support and help in working through them.
In this episode, we’ll explore how to guide your team through difficult times when morale is low and uncertainty is high.
Helping Your Team Navigate Change and Uncertainty
I remember how difficult it was to lead my teams through these challenging times, especially with layoffs.
Whether you had any input on the decision to do a layoff or not, you’re often the person who has to deliver the news to the employee and then meet with your team afterwards.
Because of that, your team members start to wonder if they might be next.
Often, the only information you can share is the corporate message—we don’t expect any further layoffs this year, or whatever the designated time frame might be.
But that message doesn’t provide much security or reassurance for your team. It can still leave them wondering when the ax might drop again.
And layoffs may only be one of the difficulties you’ve had to address recently.
So how do you address your team’s concerns, figure out how the work will be redistributed, and lead in a way that shows you truly care about them and understand what they’re going through?
1. Acknowledge what they’re experiencing
Provide opportunities for your team to ask questions and voice their concerns. Allow them to speak honestly and openly about what they’re feeling.
And don’t try to sugarcoat what they’re going through or put a positive spin on it with company talking points like, “This is a great opportunity.”
They likely won’t see it as an opportunity right now.
Let them know you’re also processing the change. You don’t have to pretend that it isn’t affecting you just because you’re the leader.
When your team senses your sincerity and authenticity, it helps create an environment of psychological safety where they feel more comfortable talking about what they’re experiencing.
2. Listen before trying to fix it
Listen carefully to what your team is saying—and what they may be afraid to ask.
After a layoff, for example, someone may ask about budgets, upcoming projects, or whether an open position will still be filled. Underneath those questions may be a much bigger concern: “Is my job safe?”
You may not be able to answer that question.
But you can listen.
Meet multiple times, as needed, and give everyone time to process the change. You don’t need to have an immediate solution for every concern they bring to you.
Sometimes your team simply needs to know you heard them.
3. Provide as much clarity as you can
Before meeting with your team, make sure you understand as much as you can about the change.
If you need more clarity, meet with your manager or director and ask questions.
Think about the questions your team is likely to have. Or better yet, ask them to send you their questions in advance so you can get as much information as possible before you meet.
Then be clear in your messaging about what you know and what you don’t know.
Don’t add details you’re unsure of or make promises you can’t guarantee.
It’s okay to say, “I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ll find out.”
4. Help them focus on what they can control
Neither you nor your team can control whether the company has another layoff, changes its return-to-office policy, reorganizes again, or makes another major technology decision.
But you can determine how you each respond and where you want to focus your energy.
Your team members may identify impacts to other teams, customers, systems, or processes that you haven’t thought about. Ask for their help identifying those impacts and determining what needs attention.
Then help them refocus on the work in front of them, supporting each other, and continuing to provide great service to their customers.
Giving people something they can influence can help restore a sense of stability when so much around them feels uncertain.
5. Involve your team in deciding how the work moves forward
If people have left the organization, there’s a practical reality you’ll eventually have to address: What happens to their work?
Let your team know you’ll need their help figuring that out.
But don’t assume every task can simply be redistributed among the people who remain.
Talk together about what needs to continue, what can be reassigned, what may need to be delayed, and what might need to stop altogether.
Your team has valuable insight into the work that you don’t have. Involving them in the decisions gives them a voice in determining how the team moves forward rather than simply handing them additional work.
You can’t eliminate the uncertainty for your team, but you can influence how supported they feel while they’re going through it.
And it’s perfectly acceptable for you to receive support from your team, as well. Being the leader doesn’t mean you have to carry it all by yourself.
Stay empowered and lead assertively!