Somewhere right now, a VP is sitting in a one-to-one with their boss, being told that “the organisation is going through some changes” and that “your role is being considered as part of the review.” They’re nodding professionally while their stomach drops. I’ve been that person. Most senior leaders have been, or will be.
Restructures are among the most disorienting experiences in a corporate career. Not because they’re rare – most large organisations restructure every 18-24 months – but because the uncertainty period between “something’s happening” and “here’s what it means for you” can stretch for weeks or months. During that time, you’re expected to keep performing, keep leading your team, and keep showing up as if your professional future isn’t hanging in the balance.
This piece is about what to actually do during that period.
Understanding Why the Restructure Is Happening
Before you can position yourself, you need to understand what’s driving the change. Restructures aren’t random. They follow patterns.
New CEO or executive team. A new leader almost always wants to reshape the org to match their vision. This typically happens within their first 90-180 days. The restructure isn’t about performance – it’s about installing people they trust and creating a structure they believe in.
Cost reduction. Revenue has dropped or the board wants better margins. Layers get removed, teams get merged, and headcount targets get handed down. These restructures are the most brutal because they’re explicitly about doing the same work with fewer people.
M&A integration. Two organisations becoming one means duplicate functions. Someone’s CFO stays, someone’s goes. Two marketing teams become one. These decisions often come down to which acquiring company’s leader “wins” each function.
Strategic pivot. The company is moving from one business model to another – say, on-premise to cloud, or product-led to services-led. Functions that mattered before might shrink. New ones emerge. Your relevance depends on whether your skills map to the new direction.
Understanding which type you’re facing tells you what behaviour to optimise for.
Reading the Signals Early
By the time restructure announcements happen formally, the decisions have been made weeks – sometimes months – ago. The useful window for action is before the announcement, not after.
Watch for these signals:
- External consultants appearing for “strategy” or “operating model” work. McKinsey, Bain, or Deloitte running workshops with your leadership team is a strong indicator.
- Your CEO or CHRO starting to talk about “simplification,” “agility,” or “becoming fit for the future.” This language is restructure groundwork.
- Certain recurring meetings being cancelled without explanation.
- Your boss becoming evasive about next year’s plans or budget conversations being paused.
- HR suddenly running “talent calibration” sessions outside the normal cycle.
If you’re seeing three or more of these simultaneously, a restructure is coming. Start preparing now, not when the email lands.
The Three Outcomes (And How to Prepare for Each)
You will face one of three outcomes. Mental preparation for all three is essential because it prevents you from being blindsided and making emotional decisions under pressure.
Outcome 1: You keep your role, but it changes
This is the most common outcome for senior leaders. Your title might stay the same but your scope shifts – different teams reporting to you, different priorities, maybe a different boss. The question to ask yourself honestly: is the new version of this role still worth doing? A VP of Engineering who goes from owning the full product platform to owning internal tools has been sidelined, regardless of what the announcement email says. But a VP who moves from a mature product to leading the company’s new AI division might have landed in a better position than before.
Evaluate the new role against three criteria: scope (bigger, same, smaller?), strategic importance (is this where the company’s investment is going?), and reporting line (who’s your new boss, and are they ascending or declining in influence?).
Outcome 2: You’re offered a different role
Sometimes you’ll be offered a lateral move or what’s framed as “an exciting new opportunity.” Be clinical about this. Ask: is the compensation the same? Is the title equivalent? Does it have a clear path forward, or is it a holding pattern before the next round of cuts? I’ve seen leaders accept “bridging roles” that disappear six months later when the restructure completes its second phase.
If you’re offered a different role, you typically have one to two weeks to decide. Use that time to talk to people who understand the new function, assess the leadership above you, and be honest about whether this is a genuine opportunity or a polite off-ramp.
Outcome 3: You’re made redundant
If this happens, you’ll likely be told in a short meeting – usually 15-30 minutes – with your boss and an HR partner. They’ll present a settlement agreement. Here’s what most people don’t know: the first offer is almost always negotiable.
Areas where you can typically negotiate:
- Notice period. Can you extend it by 4-8 weeks? This gives you more time to job search while still employed.
- Outplacement support. Ask for a specific provider and duration, not the generic package.
- Equity vesting. If you have unvested shares or options, push for accelerated vesting on the next tranche.
- Reference agreement. Get written agreement on what your reference will say and who will provide it.
- Announcement wording. Negotiate how your departure is communicated internally. “Moved on to pursue new opportunities” reads very differently from silence.
Do not sign anything on the day you’re told. You’re legally entitled to a consideration period (typically 21 days in the UK, varies elsewhere). Use it.
The Political Reality Nobody Writes About
During a restructure, someone is drawing a new org chart. That person – usually the CEO, sometimes a COO or CHRO – is making decisions about which roles exist and who fills them. Your survival depends significantly on whether that person sees you as essential.
This is uncomfortable but true: competence alone doesn’t protect you. Visibility does.
If the decision-maker doesn’t have a clear mental model of what you do and why it matters, you’re vulnerable. The leaders who survive restructures are typically those who:
- Have direct relationships with the people making decisions (not just their immediate boss)
- Are visibly attached to revenue, customers, or strategic priorities
- Have recently delivered something the leadership team noticed
- Are seen as culturally aligned with where the company is headed
If you’re two levels removed from the decision-maker and your work is primarily internal-facing, you need to find ways to increase your visibility immediately. Volunteer for the strategic initiative. Present at the leadership offsite. Make sure the right people know your name and associate it with value.
I recognise this sounds cynical. But I’ve watched excellent operators get cut because nobody in the room advocating for their role knew them personally. And I’ve seen mediocre performers survive because they were visible to the right person at the right time. Merit matters, but it’s not sufficient on its own.
Supporting Your Team While Managing Yourself
Your team is terrified. Even if you’re terrified too, they need stability from you.
Communicate what you know – even if what you know is “I don’t have answers yet, but I’ll share them as soon as I do.” Don’t pretend everything is fine when everyone can see that it isn’t. And don’t make promises you can’t keep. “Your jobs are safe” is a promise you likely can’t make. “I’ll advocate for this team and keep you informed” is one you can.
The leaders who build lasting reputations are the ones who handle restructures with integrity. Your team will remember how you showed up during this period for years. Some of them will become your future colleagues, bosses, or references. Treat this as the long game it is.
Practical Steps This Week
If you’re reading this because a restructure is imminent, here’s what to do in the next seven days:
- Update your LinkedIn profile and CV. Not because you’re leaving, but because you might need them and you don’t want to be scrambling.
- Reach out to three people in your network who might know of opportunities. Not to ask for a job – just to reconnect. Warm relationships convert faster than cold outreach if you need them later.
- Document your achievements from the past 12 months. Specific numbers, specific outcomes. You may need these for internal advocacy or external interviews.
- Review your financial position. How many months of runway do you have if the worst happens? Knowing this number reduces panic.
- Have a quiet conversation with your boss about how you can add value during the transition. This simultaneously demonstrates commitment and increases your visibility.
After the Dust Settles
However a restructure plays out, give yourself time to process it. Being restructured – even if you survive – is a significant professional event. It changes how you see your employer, how much trust you invest in organisational loyalty, and often what you want from the next chapter of your career.
Many of the strongest career moves I’ve witnessed came from people who used a restructure as the catalyst to ask bigger questions about what they actually wanted. Sometimes the answer was to stay and grow into the reshaped organisation. Sometimes it was to leave on their own terms. Both are valid responses.
For more on positioning yourself effectively at senior levels, our executive presence guide covers how visibility translates to opportunity. If you’re considering your compensation as part of a role change, see our guide on how to negotiate C-suite compensation. You might also find our pieces on the best CEO programmes and the corporate chief of staff role relevant if you’re rethinking your trajectory.
For external perspectives, HBR’s guide on navigating a layoff offers useful framing, and Bain’s research on restructuring for results helps you understand how the decision-makers are thinking about the process from their side.
Ben is a full-time data leadership professional and a part-time blogger.
When he’s not writing articles for Data Driven Daily, Ben is a Head of Data Strategy at a large financial institution.
He has over 14 years’ experience in Banking and Financial Services, during which he has led large data engineering and business intelligence teams, managed cloud migration programs, and spearheaded regulatory change initiatives.