As a result, for a while any individual who would like to step on the gas pedal is basically frozen while everybody tries to figure out how to do his or her job. During that time, most people’s results will go downhill. That’s because the issues that are now most important to my client, and others around her, are:
- Are the changes finished? Are there more to come? Who’s next?
- “If I work for her and you report to him, who can make the final decision?”
- “Does this mean I have to travel by plane twice a month for the department meeting? If I don’t, will I be able to get as much out of a meeting just by dialing in?”
- “What does this mean for me and my career path? Do I really want to stay here?”
I estimate that it will take four months before this group gets back to business as usual. It’s very unlikely that results will improve during this period. On the other hand, it’s very likely that fear and loathing will increase.
Next time someone brings up the idea of some structural changes at your place, keep this in mind. And remember these two rules of management:
- Really great leaders can make any organizational chart work effectively. (Poor leaders rarely improve results with an organizational change.)
- Pros know that people perform best when they are confident about their own situation, so those bosses do what they can to ensure stability. (Weak bosses whine that they can’t get things done because of the org chart
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