How to protect yourself during a company upheaval

Layoffs. Corporate restructuring. Leadership changes. New market strategy. Chances are that you’ll go through at least one significant company upheaval in your career (if not more than one). Employees are expected to adapt quickly, often with little support.

While you may not be able to prevent internal changes, you can be prepared—and protect yourself.

Get clarification on your job responsibilities

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One of the biggest impacts on your day-to-day might be changes in your job responsibilities. As soon as possible, you’ll want to discuss any changes with your boss. Ask directly, “Do I have any new responsibilities?” and “How will my performance be evaluated now?”

Get the information in writing, if you can, even if it’s just a follow-up email you send after a discussion with your boss that says: “Based on our conversation, I understand that my role now includes X, Y, and Z.”

You don’t want responsibility changes to be overlooked or misunderstood, and you don’t want the changes to negatively impact promotions or future raises simply because no one fully understands your role. Provide regular updates to your boss about how you’re handling your new responsibilities, and share any wins.

Additionally, make sure your boss is aware of any concerns you may have. For example, you may not have been given proper training to make you successful with your new responsibilities. If something is unclear, raising concerns early shows you want to ensure you’re meeting expectations.

Know your boundaries

“Do more with less” has become the default expectation. You might quickly find yourself overwhelmed if you’re working with a smaller team, a smaller budget, or a major strategy pivot.

It’s much harder to set boundaries if you accept additional work initially and then try to walk it back later. When faced with upheaval and asked to do more, you can say, “Yes, I can take this on. Which of my other responsibilities should I de-prioritize?”

You can also mentally set a boundary around the number of hours you’re willing to work. If you’re asked to go above that, it’s time to push back. You could say, “I’m at capacity this week. Can this wait until next week?”

Remember that loyalty is often not reciprocal

Significant changes need clear direction. A company’s leadership team should communicate why the changes were necessary and how the company expects to benefit. If that doesn’t happen, it’s a red flag. The changes might result in more problems—or can’t save the company from a downward spiral.

Keep your guard up. Look for signs that the company might be in deeper trouble, such as undergoing frequent leadership turnover, having an unclear strategy, or experiencing a lack of communication.

Change is hard and takes time to have an impact. But if it feels like things aren’t going well, keep your résumé updated and your LinkedIn profile polished. Make sure you have an exit plan, even if you’re not ready to leave immediately.

The company will always protect its interests first. You should do the same.

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