Sometimes leaders leave for other opportunities, and sometimes kiss cams at concerts can cause some major drama within corporate teams. Sometimes there are scandals and sometimes there are just abrupt exits that come from nowhere. No matter what instigates a leadership exit, a sudden change can cause major upheaval internally, and from our experience, most teams have never even considered how they’ll handle things.
Of course there may be a crisis PR plan in place to manage the public-facing messaging. but what you say and do with your team internally has so much impact on your employee engagement and the long-term success of your team!
So, what can you do to be prepared when there are unexpected exits of leadership and changes in who is stepping into new shoes? Let’s take a look.
White Elephants Have Arrived!
Let’s all just get real about the fact that there are often white elephants in the room when someone leaves suddenly. Don’t ignore them! Be realistic about what assumptions or rumors people are leaning into.
Many have known those white elephants were hanging in the corner of the conference room for a while, and some may just be connecting dots around what may have led up to an abrupt exit by a leader. If you can say something to your team about what happened, the more transparent you can be the more you will build trust within your team. We all know that for HR reasons and other legal reasons there may be things you can’t disclose. Sometimes having a vague reference to the fact that you know there are a lot of questions and you wish you could share all of the details with everyone, but you also want to respect the privacy and guidelines in place goes a long way.
Answer Questions
Answer whatever questions you realistically can address. Obviously, talk to the appropriate channels about what you can and should be saying to the internal team. However, as much as you can address questions you know are out there in sidebar conversations or unspoken in people’s minds, answer those. Also, make sure that people know they can always come to current leadership with any questions or concerns.
Focus on the Future
Instead of getting bogged down in the past, try to redirect conversations and focuses on the future. You all still have a company to move forward and goals to achieve together; if you can set your sites ahead, it’s much easier to let uncomfortable questions or unknowns fester in employees’ minds.
Enlist Others
During seasons of transition and often unclear lines of who reports to whom, the more you can enlist the help of others on the team for interim responsibilities, the better! This gives ownership and autonomy, while showing that you care about what that specific person brings to the table. This is also an opportunity to see who rises to the occasion and is ready for more responsibilities in their role at large!
Check-In
Right after a leader exits there are a lot of moving parts from operational logistics, to org charts, to communication, to even new team dynamics. However, smart teams are already scheduling the check-ins and employee engagement surveys for strategic checkpoints after a major transition. These can be done right away, but also a few months into a new work dynamic. Employee engagement surveys are vital to understand the pulse of your team and be aware of important trends happening.
Whether a kiss-cam caused upheaval in your team, or a senior leader simply left with a good-ole boring two weeks notice, whenever there are changes in senior leadership within your team, your employee engagement is at risk. Don’t let these times of transition hijack the employee engagement you’ve worked so hard for! A few strategic moves can help you ride out any transition well and be better for it!
Explore Employee Survey Tools
As expectations grow and the workforce becomes more dynamic, HR leaders need modern tools to stay ahead. The role of employee survey providers has never been more critical—or more exciting.
If you’re looking for a partner who offers flexibility, intelligence, and a truly people-first approach, it’s time to see what People Element can do. We’re more than a survey platform—we’re your partner in building a more connected, engaged, and resilient workforce.
Ready to level up your engagement strategy? See People Element in action with a virtual product tour.
