Maintaining balance, productivity, good flow and a positive atmosphere within a company can be a difficult task at any time, but it can become positively herculean when a key leader leaves. If you’ve ever experienced the sudden departure of one or more major players from your company, you know how much of a cultural shift it can cause. The transition can be especially painful for a company that has diligently built up a strong, effective corporate culture.
To successfully navigate changes in the executive rungs of a company, it’s imperative for the remaining and new leaders to find ways to maintain, and continue to build on, their carefully constructed culture. To help, 13 members of Forbes Coaches Council share their own experience and strategies.
1. Double Down On Values
Leaders often underestimate the impact their actions have on the corporate culture. When the executive suite experiences key departures, employees look to those leaders who remain to set the example. Double down on the values you’ve worked so hard as a leadership team to institute. Responding with ambivalence sends the message that the culture has exited the building along with the executives. - Scott Singer, Insider Career Strategies
2. Communicate Clearly With Employees
When key leaders suddenly leave a company it can disrupt your organization’s day-to-day operations. It’s important for stakeholders to communicate clearly and effectively their commitment to the organization’s vision and mission. Set clear expectations as to the next steps. Involve employees by preparing them for change to help keep the organization’s culture on track during the recruitment process. - Nadidah Coveney, CTM Consulting Group LLC
3. Address Anxieties
Addressing the issues with transparency and providing a safe space for individuals to express their anxiety during a period of transition will help rebuild trust. Then, inspire people to re-engage in living the company culture by reminding them of the foundational strengths and values that contributed to their success. This can ground the company in a common purpose and vision to thrive again. - Carolina Caro
4. Remind Each Other Why Your Culture Works
If leaders leave and your culture shifts radically, then you missed a step in your culture work. Your culture should make clear not only what is valued, but why that culture makes you successful. If that part is clear, then people can come and go, but those remaining will still be able to hold each other accountable to cultural standards, because they know success will be impacted if they don’t. - Jamie Notter, Human Workplaces
5. Don’t Hide From Concerns
What often happens when key leaders leave the company is that the remaining executive team sweeps it under the rug as if there is no reason for concern. When leaders leave, teams get nervous. The most important thing the leaders can do is to get out in front of employee concerns and communicate with all employee groups via town halls, roadshows, coffee talks and videos. Do not hide from it. - Heather R. Younger, J.D., Customer Fanatix, LLC
6. Close With Positivity
When a key leader leaves it raises questions. You know the usuals — “Was he/she fired?” “Were they let go?” “Will there be other terminations?” But one question employees are silently asking is, “Will this be handled with dignity and respect?” We will all eventually leave a job, and we want positive closures. Great culture leaders speak and act with deep dignity and respect throughout the closure process. - Carry Metkowski
7. Maintain A Feedback Loop
There is no better way to get ahead of cultural shifts within the organization then maintaining a feedback loop from bottom to top. The impact of departing leaders is likely to be felt on the front lines first. Enabling those employees to voice their observations and/or shifts in culture can serve as an early warning sign that can be dealt with before it becomes an issue. - Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group
8. Remember That A Culture Is The Sum Of Its Members’ Strengths
Culture is an agreement. A culture that thrives is based on an amalgamation of strengths from the unique individuals that work within it, rather than depending on a group of people at the top setting norms. A strengths focus causes people to be engaged and champion the culture, because it is about who they are at the core. A culture of this kind can withstand any departure and continue to thrive. - Rachel Bellack, The Improv Advantage
9. Hold Team And One-On-One Meetings
Transparency is essential to shore up resiliency and commitment to company culture when key leaders depart. Hold ongoing town halls to candidly share how this temporary loss will affect teams, and share how you’ll support those teams in the meantime. Let employees ask their burning questions in smaller team meetings and one-on-ones. Be open about your recruitment efforts to hire new leaders. - Loren Margolis, Training & Leadership Success LLC
10. Understand Your People’s Ideal Work Environment
When leaders really do their work by clearly understanding the specific ideal working environments of each their direct reports, they can faster stabilize cultures negatively impacted by conditions of uncertainty. Lacking this ideal environment knowledge, leaders are more often reactive than proactive. Many will say they don’t have time to know their people, only to waste time coping with disruption. - Jay Steven Levin, WinThinking
11. Align With Employees’ Values
A sudden departure of key leaders is disruptive to the culture, especially if new leaders avoid connecting with employees in a meaningful way. Effective leaders create a safe space for people to address their concerns. They encourage people to offer ideas, reward constructive feedback and openly discuss how they envision the future of the firm in a way that aligns with the employees’ values. - Beth Kuhel, Get Hired, LLC
12. Dial Up Your Presence
During revolving leadership phases, it is even more imperative that existing executives become more accessible by dialing up their presence and nurturing communications with all employees. Being more accessible to your employees will remind them that company culture is consistent — even during a change. - Rosa Vargas, Authentic Resume Branding & Career Coaching
13. Promote From Within If Possible
Leaders can take a generational approach to fill the leadership vacuum by developing and promoting internally from the pool of employees with potential to replace the leaders that left. They have lived the culture of the organization and are the best prospects to sustain it. This approach to the development of talent creates sustainability and capability throughout the depths of organizations. - Jonathan Silk, Bridge 3 LLC
