How To Survive A Management Change At Work

It's time for successful vision reformation.

By Bhavna Dalal — Written on Apr 30, 2021

Photo: getty

professional woman standing by window with arms crossed

How do you survive a management change at work?

A change in an organization, at any level, causes ripples, like a stone skipping across the water in a shimmering lake.

When the stone hits the surface of the water, ripples form that widens its expanse.

So, whether it's a significant overhaul of the senior management, a merger, or even a team-level change, the ripple effect is much higher than the original impact.

The impact of the ripples varies, depending on where the change is taking place.

The higher up the re-organization, the more the ripples, hence it becomes imperative to manage it well.

One of the first things that new management must do when it takes the reins is "Vision Reformation."

In fact, in today's rapidly changing environment, this is a good practice to repeat once every three years even if the management remains the same.

A company stands on the foundation of its mission, vision, and values. New people bring in a unique set of these three fundamentals.

If there's a conflict with the existing paradigms, the path forward is bound to be shaky.

If you want to know how to survive a management change at work, here are 3 things to keep in mind as you reform the vision.

1. Review.

The first step in the "Vision Reformation" process is to review and revisit the existing vision. As part of the review process, ask many questions both individually and collectively around the principles.

Does it excite all the members of the current team? Is it still relevant? Will it be relevant in the short and long term? Does the rest of the organization also believe in the vision?

Are there parts of the vision that apply and others don’t? Identify them.

At this step, don’t worry about the challenges you may face in the do-over.

Staying objective and respectful to your own ambitions and desires is just as crucial as regarding those of the people that will be your partners and co-creators of the redesigned vision.

2. Recall.

It's important to recall the ethos of the founding vision. The organization has marinated in the older vision for many years. It has seeped into the processes and practices of the organization.

It would not serve the company well to discard previous ideas completely. Sometimes, a major revamp is needed, but even in those situations, there are always parts of the old that must be retained.

Don’t take the value of the previous vision for granted. It's important to honor what has been done in the past.

3. Reform.

After the first two steps have been accomplished, come together to reform the vision. The biggest mistake people make when setting the vision is that they look at it as an intellectual or a strategic exercise. It's not.