Team Building Question:

Our office has recently learned that about 20 percent of our staff will be losing their jobs in the next couple of months due to a relocation set down from our corporate office. Some open positions in my area are being posted for those losing their jobs. The morale in the workplace is really down right now, plus we are dealing with some disciplinary issues. I would be very open to any suggestions as to how to make this a smooth transition and boost morale.

The Team Doc Says:

There is very little you can do to control how people feel about this situation. And the survivors will probably feel the worst.

That said, there may be legal issues that must remain quiet, but now is the time for as much communication as possible. Even if the answer is I dont know or For legal reasons I cant tell you that. Have regular get togethers with your team to talk about what is going on.

Youll be able to tell whether you are communicating enough by listening to the noise level at your company. Is the rumor mill really loud or just a soft murmur? The louder the rumor mill, the more you need to communicate to quiet it down.

Denise O'Berry

With more than two decades of operational and management experience, Denise O'Berry has developed a sharp eye for how businesses get bloated with inefficiencies, cross-purposes and miscommunication -- and how they can retool for a sleeker, smoother, strategically focused organization.

An entrepreneur who quickly built her own successful consulting business, she helps other small business owners set priorities, take action to grow their business and create the balance they want between life and work. Her clients have ranged from telecommunications giants like Verizon to Mom-and-Pop retail shops with a primary focus on those having 10 or fewer employees and up to $2.5 million in annual sales.

Denise frequently speaks to professional organizations, is the author of three booklets, and several "how-to" manuals. She writes a weekly small business column, hosts an online small business owners forum and is called upon regularly by publications such as Entrepreneur, Bank Rate Small Business, Florida Trend, Inc., various newspapers, radio and television to provide expert comments on small business issues.