Telling your team about a reorg that affects them
A restructure changes reporting lines and scope for people on your team, and you have to announce it.
Strategy
Give the shape of the change, then what is true for each person, then what you do not know yet. Pretending to have all the answers is what destroys trust in a reorg.
How this one opens
There's a restructure and it touches this team.
This is the first line of the full script for this exact situation.
What usually happens next
Most likely: quiet in the room, then private questions about who they now report to and whether this is a precursor to cuts.
One thing not to say
This is actually a great opportunity for everyone
You are seeing a piece of this script. 5 parts are written in full.
The rest of the opening, the full pushback path, everything to avoid, and the follow-up message — written for this situation.
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Before you have this one
Reorganizations often sit on top of decisions about roles that are not yours to explain. Check with your HR or people team what is confirmed and shareable before you speak, and do not speculate about anyone's job in the room. If someone asks a question about their own position, terms or notice, take it offline and route it to the people who can answer it properly.
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