Help teams thrive during organizational change

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Some changes are opportunities in disguise. 

Dealing with change is inevitable. From individual team members leaving or joining, to entire companies changing core processes or team structures, we’ve experienced a changing tide at one point.  Finding a way to build a culture that embraces change can ultimately guide you and your team through these tough situations.

Understand that change is inevitable

If any team exists for a sustained period, then it’s bound to be impacted by change. It’s part of all software teams – and really, all companies. 

Technical leaders are well-positioned to help teams become more resilient to change. When change is enacted, it often affects team processes, but the best leaders build teams that are not defined by processes. Make it clear to your team that people are at the center. These will fluctuate over time, but how you collaborate to build great software is the most important thing.

Leaders need to be comfortable with change they cannot influence. This is even more important at larger organizations where decisions many levels above you will filter down. When a decision like this impacts you, talking to your manager about it and processing the shift is important. Once you’ve given yourself the space to digest the change, you’re better equipped to lead your team through it, even if it’s not a change you would personally have made.

Navigating through changes

In disruptive times, people look to their leaders for reassurance and guidance. Maintaining team performance is important, but you should also focus on team morale and well-being. Factor that into your discussions with the team during unexpected turbulence. It is easy to inadvertently focus solely on the impact on your business, product, or day-to-day workflow. But you should also acknowledge that this impacts your team’s well-being and that it is important they look after themselves. Don’t underestimate the power of a leader visibly recognizing personal impact alongside business performance.

If the change has come from higher up in the organization, and especially if it’s one not everyone agrees with, spend time understanding the motivations for the change. Leaders don’t impact change just for the sake of it; the disruption has to provide a benefit. Be clear on the purpose so you can provide transparency to the wider team and keep them engaged. 

Ensure your team knows that you are available and there to talk, but don’t worry if not everyone does reach out right away. People process change differently – some will want to talk to their leaders immediately, but others may want to reflect individually or talk to their peers first. Know that your time will be helpful to those who reach out. In my experience, I’ve found this particularly effective with more junior staff who might not have been through a disruptive change before. It helps them to hear reassurance from a more experienced colleague who has.

Turning change into opportunities

The silver lining with organizational change is that it opens up opportunities for people to step into new roles, enhance their influence over a certain area, or develop new skills.

You should already have a sense of the people’s aspirations on your team – even if you aren’t their people manager – so connect the opportunities to the right individuals. 

For instance, when someone leaves the team, a skills gap can appear that no one can immediately fill. But you can flip this into an opportunity for another engineer to step up, grow, and become the expert that replaces them. 

Similarly, if your team is being divided or asked to take on additional responsibilities, these changes can open doors for engineers to oversee that new focus. For example, I became a tech lead when the previous one moved to another team. Having worked closely with them for a couple of years, my manager suggested I take on the role. It was challenging, and I had to work hard to feel comfortable progressing from an IC to a leader. It required support from my manager. Still, we turned the departure of a senior leader into a positive change for my career.

Turn disruption into opportunity

Yes, change is inevitable, and sometimes it might be seen as a negative to you and your team. It is important to embrace that, sit with the discomfort, and not define your team by any processes or particular structure. 

Stay flexible and look at the positives. Change can be a great experience to bring a team closer together, even if the positive impacts of change can take time to make themselves apparent – especially in larger organizations. 

Use changes to push your team’s aspirations and allow people the space to grow. People might not like change, but they will appreciate you being present, guiding them through it, and turning it from disruption into opportunity.