The Clorox Company (CLX: NYSE)

Karan Froom

Unfortunately, we’ve all read the news recently about the multitude of tech layoffs and how poorly most have been handled. From little or no communication, lack of empathy in how the messages were delivered, and zero advanced notice – all of these things have left a poor impression of the industry and the companies involved.

What can we learn from this? Sometimes it helps to look at our past to glean some lessons to apply in the future. Although this movie came out in 1939, The Wizard of Oz has some great metaphors that can be applied to managing cultural and organizational changes.

We aren’t in Kansas anymore – here comes the tornado of change

When corporate restructuring happens, many of us can be taken by surprise. It can feel like a tornado with no warning – and change without advanced notice can feel scary and chaotic even to those people who may not be directly impacted by it.

When a change is announced, we try to find meaning and further understand how it relates directly to us. Leaders who are good a managing change know that the key is sharing information as early as possible.

Think about modern-day storm alert systems- they provide us with advanced notice of what’s coming. So why not do that with your change initiatives? Give people a heads up that change is coming; share what you can and tell people when to expect to hear more.

Follow the yellow brick road- develop your plan

Having a change management plan in place before you start making organizational changes will help you map out key messages, solidify the timing and gain a better understanding of the people who are impacted. It’s much easier to plan out these activities before the chaos of the change starts.

Next, it’s important to share that plan with leaders to give them the information needed to guide their teams through the change and create buy-in to the overall strategy. Solid planning upfront also ensures that key details and activities won’t be overlooked before communicating with the impacted employees.

Watch out for the flying monkeys – make them your allies

With any change, there are always going to be a few people who will be resistant to what’s coming, and they can bring others along in their negative view of the future. Areas of resistance can be uncovered by conducting employee surveys, and focus groups, and asking managers to have frank discussions with their teams. Resistance is not a bad thing, it can help to bring to light the concerns, fears, and lack of knowledge people may have about the change. This will help determine what to communicate next and how to mitigate those fears.

" From little or no communication, lack of empathy in how the messages were delivered, and zero advanced notice – all of these things have left a poor impression of the industry and the companies involved. "

In some cases, it can be valuable to add resistant employees or leaders to the project team or the organization driving the change, as they will bring a different point of view and challenge the status quo. Giving those “resistors” a voice and taking their feedback seriously will go a long way in helping them buy into the changes that are coming and make them stronger allies in the future.

Pull back the curtain – don’t be afraid to be vulnerable

Just as the “all-powerful” Oz was revealed behind the curtain, it’s important for leaders in driving organizational changes to be visible. Ideally, leaders should share what they can, as early as possible and be willing to be open and vulnerable with their messaging.

As with any cultural change, leaders can’t always share everything – but even telling teams that there is nothing to say or share is better than just remaining silent. Hearing from senior leadership in a time of restructuring can make all the difference in assuring the organization that things are moving in a positive direction.

There’s no place like home – life after the change

After all of the dust has settled, it’s important to check in with those individuals who have moved into new roles, take on new assignments, or were affected by the change in some way. Leader check-ins, pulse surveys, focus groups, and leveraging employee resource groups are all ways to get an idea of the health and state of your new culture. Be open to feedback and willing to continually improve the new organization over time.