Ah, the corporate restructure. An announcement so commonplace in today’s work environment that it barely registers as a surprise to anyone.

And yet, it does register. It hits you hard.

Whether it’s the first time you’ve experienced it or something you’ve been through before, you’ll feel it deep down in the pit of your stomach. A sense of nervousness; dread, perhaps.

You tell yourself that your role won’t be affected; it’ll be other people or business areas that’ll take the hit. There are plenty of other roles and departments that’ll be cut before yours.

Nonetheless, the thought remains: what if it is me who’s impacted?

All of this stress and anxiety is with you for weeks – months, maybe – before the company shares the outcome. That level of stress for an indefinite period of time is clearly not good for your wellbeing.

The sooner you can put in place an action plan that focuses on yourself and your career strategy, the more chance you have of staying on track and managing your emotions - regardless of the company’s final decision.

Remember: whilst you may work for a corporation, you also work for yourself, too.

1. You are not in control

The first thing to do is to accept that, like the other 99.99% of your colleagues outside the executive leadership team deciding the future of the company, you have no control over the process, the timings and the outcomes. Going through a corporate restructure is simply one of those times that you can’t be proactive. All you can do from the moment the process is announced is to react.

This simple act of acknowledgement is a positive first step. Why? Because by doing so, you recognise that this isn’t your fault. You didn’t cause it; nobody in the C-Suite saw the work you were doing and thought: “it’s time to restructure!” The forces at play that led the company to take this course of action could be wide-ranging; from financial reasons to geopolitical uncertainty. There’s no point in spending much time thinking about why the company has decided to restructure: the fact that they are is frankly enough.

And why do I suggest that approach? Because you’re not in control.

Naturally, you’ll talk to your colleagues about the situation. You’ll gain knowledge and understanding from listening and talking to them. I strongly recommend it: of all the people in your life, they are the only ones who will truly understand what it feels like to be in this position right now. So take the time to speak with them. Vent a little about the situation. Much of it will be cathartic and helpful. However, be aware this these conversations can easily tip from being helpful to unhelpful; be mindful of who you talk to and what you take on board as the inevitable rumour mill can increase stress levels and add to your anxiety.

2. Why do horses wear blinkers?

Well? Have you ever thought about it? I accept it’s a niche reference, but go with me on this…

Anyone who can recall seeing a horse in a race will have seen it wearing little covers across their eyes (“if Batman were a horse” is what comes to my mind!) Unsurprisingly, the blinkers aren’t just there for show or fashion purposes. In fact, they serve a vital role: if the horse was to be distracted/frightened by something happening to the side of them, it could cause a real problem for the jockey. So, blinkers play a crucial role...

The blinkers close off the horse’s peripheral vision, keeping it focused on the race and less distracted by what’s going on around them.

What’s the aim by having the horse wear blinkers? Keep it focused on a single objective: get to the finish line (preferably in first place!). Shut out the noise around them. Reduce distractions.

Now, people reading this who’ve been coached by me might remember me saying this to them: Imagine your career in this context of a horse with blinkers, especially at a time of uncertainty like a corporate restructure (but definitely not limited to this time). When was the last time you thought deeply about your career objectives? How much of the noise going on around you is distracting your focus? If you recognise at this point that you don’t have an answer, then…

3. It’s time for a plan

For many people, the unpleasant truth about a corporate restructure is the realisation they don’t have a clear idea of what they want their future career to look like. Perhaps they’ve let their career drift a little bit; the salary and benefits package are fine and they’ve been in the company a while. It happens; in fact, it’s incredibly common! The majority of us are just thinking about one month to the next. What’s so unsettling about a restructure process is that you immediately get the sense your career decisions aren’t on your timeline anymore: you’re on the company’s timeline now.

With the restructure announced, the questions to ask yourself are:

1. How clear are you about where your career is heading?

2. Have you got a written career plan that you continuously work towards and adapt?

3. Is the plan in your head, but just not written down yet?

4. Do you have anything resembling a plan at all?

Question #1

Rather than a specific career goal, this question is about the vision you have for your career; the direction of travel. It’s a substantial question that requires serious time and thought. I work with my clients on this using a bespoke method and a great place to start your thinking is a simple google search to see what could work best for you.

Questions #2 & 3

Whilst many clients I coach have dreams or ideas about they want to achieve, very few have a written plan. The magic happens when you take those ideas you’ve been thinking about and commit them to paper/screen. Why? You immediately change the level of accountability. Firstly, to yourself: the goal is unambiguously written down in black and white. No more letting your mind subtly alter the goal! Secondly, you can use an external stakeholder to help hold you accountable. That could be a coach or mentor; it could also be a family member or friend whose help you value. A great place to start working on your goals is by using a plan such as the GROW Model (Whitmore, 2009).

Question #4

Don’t panic! The typical approach to this could be to double-down on being tough on yourself for not having a plan. A kinder approach is to reframe this situation and say: “the facts have changed: the company has started a restructure. Now is exactly the right time to start thinking about what comes next for me, regardless of the company’s timeline.”

4. From no control to some control

Without question, a corporate restructure is a very unsettling time. However, if you can absorb the immediate shock and shift your mindset to a future-focused one, you’ll approach the situation with a greater sense of being in control. After all, the most important person in the company is you; it was always the case and remains so now.

What better moment to prove it and focus on yourself?

How to stay strong and focus on yourself during a corporate restructure:

Recognise that for much like the 99.99% of your colleagues outside the executive leadership team making the decisions, you have zero control over the process, its timings and its outcomes. You can’t be proactive; instead, embrace the reactive.
Talk to your colleagues. See how they’re feeling and what ideas they’ve had. Vent a little. Make a pact to talk regularly throughout the restructure process.
As soon as you can after the company announces the restructure, ask yourself: “If my role was made redundant tomorrow, how prepared am I for what’s next?”
If you don’t have a plan, start one as soon as you can, using the process I describe above.
Activate/accelerate your plan; through your network, recruitment consultants, and others. Set some simple goals that you can align to the company’s restructure timeline; that way, you’ll be able to see progress in a relatively short space of time that’ll give you confidence for your future progress.

Richard Lassiter is a dual-accredited executive coach and the founder of RL Performance, an executive coaching and leadership consultancy.

How to stay strong during a corporate restructure