What do you do?  How do you behave?  There are a bunch of unwritten rules that can help you survive (assuming that you do survive, but that's a different column.).  Here are some do's and don'ts that will help you keep your sanity during the chaos.

Separate Facts from Opinions

The first whisper about any potential reorganization sets off a firestorm of speculation.  Aside from the likelihood that what gets to you has already been transformed through some corporate game of "telephone", keep one thought foremost in your mind.  You do not know what's going on.

Until there is some official notification, everything you hear, no matter how impeachable you think the source, is rumor.  Regardless of whether the same story is coming from all directions, remember - it's just a story.

Where there are no facts, there is folklore.  From the beginning of recorded history, cultures have invented stories to explain seemingly inexplicable phenomena.  It's mythology.  And so is what is circulating around your office.  So be careful about how you let it impact your worklife.

Keep Quiet

This is really my best advice, and unfortunately, is the hardest for anyone to follow.  The amount of theory, discussion and just plain gossip in a re-org is directly proportional to the size of the unit in question.  It's impossible to avoid, but necessary to resist. 

You can listen - in fact, you should listen, because staying connected is critical - you can't chime in.  While everyone else is dishing, you should be the sponge.  Take it all in, nod and look absorbed.  The only comments you should make are the ones that express active listening, like, "Uh-huh," "Wow," or "Really."

Be Switzerland

At all costs, you'll want to avoid sounding like you agree/disagree with anyone (see above) because in the course of any reorganization, factions may emerge.  It's best to stay neutral, since you should avoid being aligned with the loser if at all possible. 

This is where staying quiet is a true differentiator and will probably help you no matter how things turn out.  Partisans of each side will try their hardest to enlist you, but you should stay relentlessly impartial. 

Stay positive too.  Don't get sucked into bitch sessions, even when you're as aggravated or demoralized as everyone else.  People remember who whined and complained, even if they don't remember why.

Focus on the Work

It still needs to get done and if everyone is gossiping, you'll stand out as someone reliable with a clear head.  Keep in mind that, unless you hear otherwise, you're still responsible for everything now that you were responsible for before. 

Occupy yourself with the tasks and projects that were on your plate already.  It will give you something to do while others are spending their time speculating. Make sure to document your activity and especially any milestones that you achieve.  It's particularly important to keep records and communicate your progress proactively.  Especially if there's a change in management.

Confirm the Reporting Structure

Most re-orgs are kicked off by the abrupt disappearance of one or more managers.  You come back from lunch on Friday to discover that your supervisor is gone and the cube is empty - devoid of any evidence that someone ever occupied it.

In most places, some obtuse formal statement is issued, saying that the former manager has "left to pursue other career opportunities." (This is always a euphemism for being shown the door.) There may be an announcement about an interim structure... or there may not.

In any case, one of the first things you should do is find someone to whom you can report.  If no acting manager is identified, be proactive.  Contact your former manager's manager.  Go higher if need be, but make sure you've got someone to report to. 

Reach out and schedule some time with this individual to explain what you've been doing and ask whether you should keep going in this direction.  It will increase your standing as a conscientious employee.  Or a suck-up, but during a re-org, a little of that can be a good thing.

Pay Attention to Ominous Signals

You need to be aware of what's going on, as well as what's not going on.  Like changes to the regular scheme of things, as in being left out of meetings that you always attended before.  Or your peers getting new assignments when you don't. 

Be most suspicious about an overall lack of communication, unless everyone is being left in the dark.  But if it just seems to be you, or a small group that includes you, you are in trouble.  And it's worse if you stick your head in the sand and try to ignore it.

You know the old saying, no news is good news?  Not true in this case.  Being out of the loop during a re-org means that you're probably seen as expendable.  And in all likelihood, transition plans are being made for you.

Update Your Resume

If the news looks bad, drop everything and jumpstart your job search.  Be extremely discreet, but start to talk to your network, focusing first on your contacts outside your department at your current employer. 

Check the internal job postings and get in touch with anyone you know who can help you make contact with hiring managers.  Don't waste any time.  There are probably others who'll be impacted by the re-org and it's good to get moving before they do. 

Start looking on the outside too, just in case.  Get that resume updated and start looking at the job boards.  It never hurts to be prepared.  And if the bad news does come, you'll have a head start and less pressure on your exit package.

More

Don't forget to have an exit strategy for your exit strategy.  In any re-org, there's always the possibility of misinterpreting the signals.  What you think you see as the end might only be the beginning of a new order.  You'll want to be able to backtrack on your bailout, so keep an open mind and open ears too.

Questions?  Comments?  Feel free to write to me at Jamie@jobcircle.com .

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Jamie Fabian spent more than 15 years as a human resources executive before changing careers to become a senior project manager for a growing IT consulting company.  Now in management consulting for a large Pharma company, Jamie would like to be seen as a hybrid of Tom Peters, Tom Jackson, and Tom Wolfe, but spends too much time working, driving carpool and watching mindless TV to write more than this column.  You can contact Jamie with questions and comments at jamie@jobcircle.com.