Are we nearly there yet?

I feel this one in my bones. Mergers are the corporate equivalent of being told you’re moving house, but you don’t know where to, when, or if your favourite armchair is coming with you. It’s unsettling, to say the least. The downside of being the umbrella for your team is that you’re the one that gets properly, royally wet. And it sounds like you’re currently in a downpour.

What I'm hearing loud and clear is worry. And worry is natural when everything’s up in the air. But- and this is a big but- you’ve got to try and disentangle what’s actually within your sphere of control, and what’s just… noise. Here’s some things to think about:

1) Control the controllables. The future, in this grand merger sense, is not within your control. So, please, for your own sanity, try and drag your focus back to the immediate. What can you do, right now, today, this week? What are the team’s current tasks? What information do you have? It will all play out, and any bets you made at the beginning about who’s getting what office are likely to change about seventeen times anyway.

2) Your job versus their emotions. It's not your job to be responsible for everyone's emotions. You’re a manager, not a therapist (though sometimes it feels like it). It is your job to do what you're asked, deliver the information you do have, as and when you get it, and to provide a calm, steady presence amidst the chaos.

3) Be honest (within reason). You don’t have to pretend you’ve got a crystal ball. It’s okay to say, "I understand there's a lot of uncertainty, and I don't have all the answers right now. But here's what I do know, and I promise to share more as soon as I have it." Authenticity builds more trust than blagging it ever will.

4) Create pockets of certainty. Even if the big picture is blurry, can you create some clarity on smaller things? Team routines, short-term goals, how you’ll communicate updates- these little anchors can make a huge difference.

5) Look after yourself. If you’re running on empty, you’ll have nothing to give. Find your own sounding board (not your team!), make time for that run, or just hide in the loo for five minutes with a cuppa. You can’t pour from an empty cup, especially when everyone else is thirsty for reassurance.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Be kind to yourself, focus on what you can influence, and remember that this, too, shall pass (eventually- probably with a new brand identity you’ll all have to get used to).

One of my favourite Amazon behaviours is 'have backbone, disagree, and commit'. What I think most people struggle with is the idea of committing to something they aren't bought into. This can sometimes come out as passive lack of interest or the opposite- sometimes someone asks the same question so many times that they are making clear to everyone that they are a) unhappy with the direction and b) not afraid of saying it.

A few tips I've seen work that I hope can help:

1) Create a channel for the questions. Specifically- find a way to put all of these questions into one place- maybe a Slack channel, a specific meeting, or an inbox. Whatever it is, from now on that is where questions sit and there's somewhere for them to push all of the energy too.

2) Make an FAQ. It makes people feel like there's control and purpose where there is none. Let's say you're rolling out a new brand, but you're halfway through the process and people are antsy about not be included- an FAQ can answer things like “How will the new brand affect me?” or “Why has the company chosen now for a rebrand?”. It doesn't really matter what, but it can give the illusion of clarity of thought and purpose.

3) Address the repetition. A simple “Hey, I've noticed this question keeps coming up for you- is there an answer you're looking for that you think would prevent it coming up again?” may work wonders.

Best of luck- not everyone copes the same with the curve.