Big Change, Part III: Em-Powerment

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Matthew, the CEO of the company that is closing a regional office and laying off 11 staff members, talked with the HR manager. Her name was Emmeline, and everyone called her Em. She is tall, smart, and lovely, and she knows her business.

When I told her I wished she had been at the first Executive Team meeting, she rolled her eyes. “I know,” Em said. “They don’t think about HR until it’s sometimes too late. I’m glad Matt came right back here and brought me into the picture.”

She looked accustomed to being left out of the Big Cheese discussions, but didn’t appear unsettled about it. She showed me her list of tasks and timelines: Contact the attorney; Plan the agenda for the regional office announcements; Review the employment longevity for each person who would be laid off; etc. She knew what to do.

I saw Em in her first meeting with the Executive Team. She mostly stayed quiet, occasionally reminding someone of a legal requirement or a way to support people in transitioning from one situation to another. Afterward, we talked about her one new role: educating the other executives. She could not assume they would know – or remember – what to do in a transition like this. She would strengthen her productive communication as a way to be heard above the stress of the situation over the next few months:

  • Initiative conversations: Remind people that one key purpose is to support the whole workforce of people who are in a difficult situation, including considering security, privacy, and respect. And mention this at every Executive Team meeting – even Big Cheeses can lose sight of the big picture.
  • Understanding conversations: For every problem that Em will observe, anywhere in the workforce, she will either solve it on the spot, get help from her partners on the Executive Team, or bring it to the weekly meeting and ask for ideas. She’s not going to be the Lone Ranger here – everybody needs to contribute their best.
  • Performance conversations: Em will make requests for assistance, and will press for agreements from her Executive peers, and from workforce supervisors and staff, for what they will do and by when it will be done. She’s going for impeccability on agreements throughout the transition.
  • Closure conversations: She will have lots of these, including: (1) Bring a report to every weekly meeting, updating the facts of what’s happening in the workplace regarding the transition; (2) Say “thank you” easily and often, to everyone, and be appreciative of every conversation and contribution of support. (3) Take responsibility wherever possible, never blaming “other people” for their decisions or actions. (4) Update agreements as needed with other executives, and with workforce personnel as appropriate in every conversation.

Em is taking on deepening her own personal and professional power in this matter. As an HR manager, she is going to be an important engine to have this transition go well. They are lucky to have her.