Having dealt with dozens of school restructures and redundancies, we’re often asked at FitzgeraldHR what we’ve found to be the most useful bit of advice for the members of the Senior Leadership Team that find themselves managing the process. Of course, there are legal considerations to take account of and that’s why they should always seek advice in this area. However, from a practical perspective, I often find myself describing the Change Curve devised by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.
As many of you will know, this model is from the 1960s and was actually used to describe the emotions people experience when dealing with grief. However, it can be used to describe people’s reactions when going through any significant change process.
The change curve
Shock
You will note that the initial reaction is shock. This is why so often Headteachers are greeted with stunned silence when they first break the news of a potential staff restructure or redundancy exercise. It often comes as a bolt from the blue for most employees and it is a lot for them to process and take in. I always advise Headteachers to use a pre-prepared script so that they ensure all the salient points are covered and the message is kept as concise as possible: employees will only be able to process a limited amount of information at this stage.
It’s also important that you remain available to members of staff once you’ve delivered the news. Be on hand to make sure people are okay to get home; for some members of staff, it may be necessary to contact a friend or relative to collect them. Schools often subscribe to Employee Assistance Programmes and it’s worthwhile reminding employees of this valuable support resource at this stage. It sounds obvious but don’t expect any productive work to be done once you’ve delivered the news. I tend to recommend that the news is delivered at the end of the day.
Where possible, try not to deliver the news on a Friday. Once the initial news has settled in, the affected employees will want more information, specifically details of how the proposed changes will affect them. They’ll also want to liaise with their colleagues who are also going through the change process. This can be a valuable source of support for everyone affected. By breaking the news on a Friday, the employee has two days to worry about the implications with no-one to discuss things with.
Anger
Most change programmes will involve individual consultation meetings and it’s often at the first meeting that you will realise that the individual has moved along the change curve. The emotional reaction can often be one of anger. I always encourage the Headteacher or person conducting the meeting not to react to what is being said but to listen and to allow the individual to articulate their views. This is a consultation meeting and the individual needs to feel that they have had the opportunity to have their say. You need to be very clear as to what the employee’s options are. Communication is key at this stage and it’s worth providing the employee with written documentation so they are clear on both what is being proposed, the implications for them and the next steps involved.
Depression
One of the aims in managing the change process is to get the employee to transition through the emotional spectrum described in the change curve as quickly as possible. After anger, the next phase is depression. The individual can feel helpless at this stage. It’s important for the Headteacher to make the individual aware of their options so that their mindset becomes future-orientated.
I’m not a fan of overly long consultation periods. Employees want to feel that the process is constantly moving forward, that they are being listened to and that they are being treated fairly. Individuals can become stuck in the depression phase for an excessive period of time if the process is not moving forward.
Acceptance and Integration
Often towards the end of the consultation period, employees show signs of the next phase in the change curve: namely acceptance. In the case of potential redundancies, the employee will start to talk about matters such as references, the redundancy package and help with CV writing. This is to be taken as a positive sign in terms of them transitioning through the emotional stages associated with the change and it’s often only a short time before the next phase: integration – where they embrace their new reality and are able to perform effectively within it.
One thing that members of the Senior Leadership team should be aware of, especially after a redundancy exercise, is the sense of guilt that is often felt by the employees that are left behind. You’ll want to work hard to rebuild the team and to get them focussed on the school’s future objectives.
Finally, it’s also far too easy to forget that you’ll experience the same change curve yourself. Granted you will have been aware of the situation before your employees but quite often the reality of the need to make redundancies or to restructure can come as a shock. Make sure you have a support network in place: this could be a Governor and/or your partner and make them aware of the emotional change curve that you may experience over the forthcoming weeks as you move through the change process.
At FitzgeraldHR we not only understand the legal processes required to implement staff restructuring in schools, or any change programme, but we are also acutely aware of the human dimension that is often far more challenging.
If you have a change initiative that you need support with then don’t hesitate to contact us on 01884 841 539 or email me: richard.vain@fitzgeraldhr.co.uk.
