How can leaders foster a sense of belonging in teams during restructuring?

Encourage team members to express their perspectives on the restructuring process. Create platforms for open dialogue and idea-sharing, allowing employees to contribute to the vision.

Restructure often generates anxiety and fear. A great way to minimize that is by increasing the sense of belonging and ensuring that people understand the "why". An opportunity to ask questions and receive clear and direct answers are also valuable. Every time leadership doesn't provide enough clarity, often results in lack of trust. Sense of belonging is increased when leaders put themselves "out there" to share the vision and "whys" with transparency, courage and honesty.

Une chose que j'ai trouvée utile pendant la restructuration, c'est non seulement l'implication des protagonistes, mais aussi et surtout réduire le plus possible la durée de ladite restructuration afin qu'il y ait un regain de confiance dans les équipes.

The sooner you can give your teams clarity of why, and what this means to them, the better. Humans hate uncertainty and restructuring often threatens their sense of safety. Confusion leads to paralysis. Remember to include what isn't changing. Coalesce around your team vision, purpose, value to the organisation. This will help ground your team and lessen the uncertainty. Be authentic. Do not repeat the corporate message unless you deeply believe in it, and have internalised it. Any parroting of the message will be seen as inauthentic and that you are a corporate mouthpiece.

Vission is one of the most important things teams and companies should be aware of. It is the core belief and idea that holds together values, intentions, and might be one of the key reasons where employees with share similar values and vision join the company. Company's mission then have a highly correlation with fostering a sense of belonging in the team. It is crucial this vision, in order to enhance deeper sense of belonging is not only communicate within the company structure, but it is translate into actionable processes all immerse in the company organizational and decision making process.

Establish transparent decision-making frameworks that empower team members to participate actively. Ensure that employees understand their role in the decision process, fostering a culture of accountability and shared responsibility.

Use language that involves and empowers your team. Shift from 'The', to 'Our' to create a sense of ownership and belonging. Over index on language that creates a feeling of belonging and inclusion. Be careful not to create a them-us perception between your team (the good guys) and those behind the changes (the bad guys). Create empathy and understanding.

If your restructure doesn't have an actual understanding of what the day-to-day of your employees looks like then it's almost certainly going to build resentment. They should be involved from the start, not just as a tick-box exercise at the end when they know they're being consulted because you ought to.

The people closest to the work know the most about the work. Be respectful. Ask their point of view and ask them to engage in what they believe are the best steps forward, keeping in the parameters of restructuring.

Acknowledge and reinforce their identity as a team in the current structure by reviewing achievements and allowing time to share reflections on their experiences together as a team. Once the new situation is known, ensure that you create an ending - a ceremony or celebration that gives people an opportunity to adjust as they transition.

Take care to get the facts right. Nothings worse than seeing a leader give out kudos to the wrong individual or leave someone out of the recognition because they didn’t take the time to fully understand what it took to deliver the outcome and who participated in the execution.

Restructuring often threatens your teams sense of safety. They feel out of control. To mitigate this increase your rate of feedback, especially positive, and specific, so that you team know you value them, and what you value about them - from how they do things to the attitude that they bring. Recognise that the uncertainty and lack of control can be paralysing and could have an impact on their future hopes and dreams. Be kind, be empathetic. You, as their leader, are their source of safety - take that responsibility seriously.

If you are in a restructuring process it might be too late to build trust. Your actions may be more focused on maintaining the trust you have, whilst working to improve it. Be authentic - about what you know, and don't know. This matters most, as it creates the foundations for trust to be built. Be respectful - show how you value and respect those in your team Be empathetic - put yourself in others shoes, ask questions, it is not about you Be fair - check your motive, or perceived motive, this can quickly destroy trust. Find the time and space to build and deepen relationships - away from task - think water cooler, and corridor conversations.

To many employees fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging diversity may feel like two objectives on the opposite side of the spectrum. Truth is, employees often like to hang out with employees who are similar to them. As a leader, you need to emphasize that diversity increases innovation, so that both your diverse and non-diverse employees see how it will empower them both during the company's restructuring process.

Numa reestrutura??o desafiadora, destaco uma estratégia singular: "Diálogo Rotativo". Crie sess?es regulares para que os próprios colaboradores liderem discuss?es sobre suas experiências, desafios e aspira??es. Ao dar espa?o para vozes diversas, promovemos um pertencimento mais profundo e genuíno. A dica é incentivar a diversidade com a??es para empoderar os membros da equipe para liderarem as conversas, fortalecendo assim os la?os de pertencimento de maneira autêntica.

Be consistent. Lead by example. Show up as the better person, and your team will follow you. Take time to get your head around the impact for you, before you try to lead your team. If you are not 100% on your game, as a leader, your team will spot it. You can't fake it until you make it.

In my experience maintaining open and transparent communication, ensuring every team member understands the changes and their role. It's crucial to actively listen to concerns and provide support. Encourage inclusivity, making sure all voices are heard and valued. Acknowledge the challenges of restructuring and show empathy. Organise teambuilding activities to strengthen bonds and create a supportive atmosphere. Recognise and celebrate contributions, reinforcing each member's importance to the team. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions help in addressing issues promptly and maintaining a sense of unity. Adapting leadership styles to be more empathetic and inclusive during such times can significantly enhance the teams sense of belonging.