9 Office-Relocation Transition Strategies To Boost Morale

Question: My team and I have just learned that our office will close within 10 months or so and relocate to another city on the other side of the country. Some will make the move and some won't. For those who will stay on and make the move with us, how can I boost the low morale prevalent in our office right now?

Most people don’t like change. Perhaps let me rephrase that: we, as humans, are not necessarily resistant to change – just sudden change. The news of moving the office to another city and the short turnaround period are what I consider to be sudden change. Given the opportunity to adapt to the announcement, many will. Some will not. Some have resilience – others simply choose to feel victimized. There’s nothing you can do now to lessen the impact of the announcement. But you must now demonstrate real leadership.

First, understand that there are two targets your people can be looking toward: 1) the day the office closes and many are out of work, or 2) the days after the office closes – when people are getting settled into their new jobs, new location, new environments, new offices, new friends, new people and new perspective. It’s an exciting time and this is where I challenge you to take the focus of your people – not to the day of the office closing but to the days after the office closes.

You can not be heard uttering the words, “yeah I know it’s tough but what are you going to do?” That simply makes people wallow in their pain and not look for the positive opportunities that could follow, regardless of whether or not they are choosing to move or find something else when the office closes. And it keeps your people focused on the day the office closes.

Next, you need to have a plan for the day after the office closes. Be proactive. Show your people that you’re not wallowing in misery but you, as their leader, are getting right to the next chapter of your work life. This will likely inspire your people to quit their wallowing and get on with it.

Here are 9 Transition Strategies that need to go into your plan:

1. Get a firm decision from each staff member right now: are they coming or are they leaving? For those who are choosing to move, get a plan in place to look after housing needs at the other end, arranging movers, arranging flights to visit the new city as early as possible so that those people can get excited about the prospect of moving.
2. If there are a few on-the-fence about moving, make sure they get a chance to visit the new city to help them make a decision. Provided it’s a pretty city, those who are sitting on the fence may be swayed by its beauty and come home with a positive attitude about the move. In other words, get as many of your staff onside as soon as possible so that you are not shouldering the burden of overcoming the negative attitudes alone.
3. If you are not in a position to help them travel financially, then at least develop a strategy to offer your people some time off so that they may travel on their own. Bend over backwards in consideration for your people. Moving is a big step for some.
4. Create a “Relocation Transition Team” in your office. Task your people to work with each other to find Realtors, research good neighborhoods, recreation facilities, schools, contact numbers for City departments, garbage schedules, residential Internet hookups, utilities, public transportation, gyms, park systems, bicycle rentals, organized sports for kids, anything that they currently do now. They will need this information anyway when they get to the new city. The transition becomes easier when they’ve planned in advance. Creating this team keeps everyone pointed in a forward direction focused on the day after the office closes.
5. For those who are choosing not to move, bring a little hope. Bring in an HR consultant to help them define their skill set, aid in developing an updated resume and help them feel powerful as they get ready to hit the streets job searching.
6. Offer those who will remain behind a liberal schedule to attend interviews, respond to want ads, and help them post their resumes to Monster and other job sites. Offer letters of reference with heartfelt words; offer to call interviewers on their behalf and to use the full resources of the company to help them land softly.
7. If your people end up finding good positions early (before the office relocates), let them go. Knowing that you are behind them is an unselfish act and keeps a positive mindset in the office. Let them know that you understand that when they get a great offer, you won’t hold them back. Ensuring that your peoples’ individual welfare is ahead of the company short-term welfare is real Service Leadership Attitude in action.
8. If, however, your generosity is still met with negative attitude in the office, address it immediately. Have face-to-face discussions with the guilty parties about their behavior. Make sure they understand that this corporate decision does not give anyone free license to act out in rebellion. The company is moving forward regardless of any whining. They have an opportunity to move forward with the company or to be job-seeking early. It is imperative that you remove the negative forces that influence the rest of the group and also remove those who annoy the others with their negativity. It is still a workplace and it is business as usual.
9. Most of all don’t dwell on the upsetting of the apple cart. The more you dwell on the downside of “change” the more you encourage your people to grumble and feel sorry for themselves. The decision has been made – let’s get back to work.

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: In tough times, people look to leaders who are capable of leading. Are you one? If not, isn't it time you got busy developing your Leadership Attitude?