• Bring the remaining team together to address the changes openly and honestly. For those who don’t already know, explain the reasons behind the decisions. Acknowledge that things will look and feel differently moving forward
   

• Provide opportunities for everyone to ask questions (if they don’t feel comfortable asking questions out loud in front of others, you can use an app like Slido)
   

• If it’s possible, give everyone a discretionary couple of days off to have a long weekend, signalling a break between the old world and the new. Give people some space to decompress and process, with the hope they’ll feel refreshed and ready to embark on the next chapter 

• Give an update on the new vision for the business, creating a shared purpose amongst the team
     

• Re-emphasise the business’s values and how these show up in the new strategy 
   

• Involve everyone in creating the business’s next steps and engage them in decision making where possible  

• Provide an Assistance Programme. They aren’t too costly, yet they give individuals an opportunity to speak to professionals in a confidential setting about a range of factors such as stress, anxiety, financial concerns and managing change
   

• Budget holders could hold 1:1s with their team members to ask how they are doing and if there’s any further support or clarity they need right now
   

• Assess workloads, keeping in mind there will be less people in the team and productivity might still be low for the first couple of weeks. Review tasks and responsibilities to ensure they are manageable
    

• Update goals for individuals and set clear expectations
   

• Provide training to help everyone adapt to new responsibilities and systems
    

• Set up a buddy system for budget holders; this helps them share learnings with someone who is in the same position as them

• Celebrate small wins
    

• Encourage ‘shout-outs’ - this is when someone recognises good work from their colleagues and mentions it in a public forum
    

• Provide meaningful feedback to those who are in new roles
    

• Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration
   

• Collect feedback, questions and concerns, and have a system for the conduit between team members and budget holders about how the changes are going
    

• Implement Donuts to encourage cross-functional connection (especially if you are remote)
   

• Organise a team building event or team social to bring some light heartedness amongst the team (this can also be done remotely, and if money is tight, a quiz can do the trick)  

• Team members will keep thinking ‘if restructuring has happened once, it might happen again’ so it’s important to keep in mind that everyone might still be fearful and uncertain about the future. Give clarity and reassurance wherever possible 
   

• Hold regular meetings with the business, conduct individual meetings and run regular surveys to capture questions, concerns and feedback 

Moving forward after a restructuring takes careful consideration and intentional actions. It isn’t rebuilding what once was, but rather, creating something new. It’s like the Japanese art of Kintsugi - it’s fixing something by bringing pieces back together, but it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) look the same as before. Imperfections ought to be highlighted, rather than concealed, everyone will appreciate authenticity and transparency before, during and beyond a change process.