Leading Through the Neutral Zone

How to be a guide for others

Last week’s edition focused on the neutral zone leaders traverse when they enter the role. This phase is the time in between an ending and a new beginning. It’s baffling, awkward and lasts longer than we expect. If you haven’t read that edition yet, I highly recommend it as it offers meaningful context about this phase of transition.

Leaders face many neutral zones, as markets shift, as the organization changes, as the company grows or contracts. In these, they must act as guides for others. The news is flooded with layoffs, reorgs and other big shifts inside companies. This means many companies are experiencing neutral zones right now. I thought it might be good to talk about our role as neutral zone guides.

I faced two neutral zones as a COO — being new to the role while navigating organizational change as the company was acquired. Navigating both at the same time was an intense period of growth. While I’d studied change management in school, leading an org through a neutral zone taught me that it was more important and more difficult than I ever imagined. I wanted to share a few things I learned. There’s so much to say on this subject, it’s barely a start but a start it is.

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Self management is a top priority while navigating the neutral zone. This means being able to regulate our thoughts and emotions. This might not seem like the obvious top choice. Let me explain my reasoning. Neutral zones are emotionally charged times. Chaos and confusion reign. Emotions follow. Having less context and less say in the decisions, our team can find this time incredibly stressful. This phase often follows organizational shifts.

Where once they felt like they belonged, now people don’t know where they fit. They wonder about their future with the company. As the team processes a messy present and an uncertain future, a host of emotions arise. Conversations that were once rational become fraught. Some leaders even tell me they feel like a therapist at times.

Crossing through this zone means as leaders we need to keep our wits about us. While it’s tempting to run full out, attending to every need, leaders do best when they employ airline state of mind — putting your oxygen mask before helping others. This might look like eating well, getting enough sleep, having a coach or therapist, and taking time to decompress. This might seem trivial but to often I see leaders place themselves dead last. Eventually we run out gas. We might lash out, then feel guilty. Our empty tank means we struggle with decision making. Communication might be strained or non-existent. The team feels the impact, adding to an already stressful time.

When leaders put self management upfront, we have more patience and emotional space to help the team makes sense of what’s next.

p.s. Despite our attempts to manage our energy, the chaos might overwhelm us at some point. This is expected. When it does, rather than double down on work, it’s time to double down on self care.

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Know that we won’t get it all right. We will make mistakes. I had dreams about the missteps I made for months after my role ended. It was hard to shake. I wish I’d known that it wasn’t if I’d make mistakes but how many and what kind. It would have eased my mind and reduced over thinking.

In theory, change management seems fairly straight forward. Make a plan and then work the plan. That’s the theory anyway. Wrinkles always come up. A big customer we were depending on doesn’t come through, creating revenue uncertainty. A team member with unique expertise suddenly departs the company, leaving a vital hole. Those careful plans no longer apply to our current situation. Our plans need to be remade, likely many times during this phase. So have a plan, and know that it’s in pencil, not ink. In other words, be prepared for it to evolve.

Neutral zones are rarely orderly transitions. Mayhem often appears, disorienting all of us. I’m not saying to go through them without a plan. Structure will help us through. The key is finding the right amount of structure while still remaining flexible. Consistency can really help. For example, you might decide that you will communicate through an all hands every month, no matter what. And, that you will be transparent as possible. This might sound basic but when there’s high amounts of uncertainty, there’s a strong incentive to say nothing for fear of getting it wrong or having to change later. Messaging is difficult when things are unpredictable but being consistent can quell some concerns. It also helps to know there is a plan, even if it might shift.

When it comes to neutral zones, expect the unexpected. Nothing will go as planned. When we stay in the mindset of flexibility, we’re more easily able to flow with the changes and guide others through.

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The tangible bits aren’t the hardest part. It’s tempting to focus on team assignments, strategic priorities, reporting structures and so forth. Tangible changes do need to be sorted — they’re just not the hardest bit of leading through transition. More difficult is helping people process the change and the emotions that come along for the ride. People might experience loss, guilt, excitement, anxiety or dread — sometimes many of these emotions at one time. Just as you experienced confusion when your role changed, they will to. Making it more difficult? They’re navigating changes they may not have wanted or have had any say in. This makes the situation all the more disorienting.

As a leader, our job is to help the team navigate this phase. This means we have to help people let go of the old so we can move in a new direction. This is difficult for just about all of us. That’s not to say you’re responsible for the emotions of others. Absolutely not. However, you can create an environment that makes the process easier.

When guiding others through the neutral zone, think of the tangible bits as the iceberg you can see, the intangible bits lie under the surface. This means we can run into them if we’re not careful. Make space in your plans for the intangible pieces. William Bridges’ second book, Managing Transitions is a solid resource with many tips on leading through transition. I highly recomend it.

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Neutral zones are full of change. Most of us find change challenging. Leading others through it? Like playing on hard mode.

Make sure to focus on your own well-being, not just that of the team. Know that there isn’t a right way to guide through this bewildering time. Remember to include the intangible parts as part of the transition. Finally, if you find leading through this phase difficult, know that you’re not alone. Be sure to get support.

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