We are undergoing a re-org at work. It’s not the kind of re-org that requires firings, but it’s still harrowing. Pretty much everyone in my department has a new job and a new boss. I myself have lost my entire team but one. Yet in the end, I will be managing three more people than previously. Gah.

People are angry. People are anxious. People are philosophical, and people are thrilled. Some people play it close to the chest, others broadcast their dissatisfaction to all and sundry. Some people are thrilled to get rid of certain problem employees, while those same people might also be filled with dread over the problem employees they just inherited.

It doesn’t help that the news is being rolled out rather more haphazardly than planned, thanks to certain people who could not keep their mouths shut.

So what have I gleaned from this experience so far?

1. People generally focus on the parts of their jobs they are losing. Their immediate reaction is that nobody can do what they do. Even if it is something they do not enjoy, in which case there may be a sense of relief.

2. They wonder how long their pain will be drawn out. When will they get answers? For how long will they be without a certain resource?

3. They want to know, who will be doing their job? (And thinking: Can I trust them?)

4. What will they be doing? They try to imagine what their day will be like. Will there be too much or too little work? Will they like what they do?

5. There is also the consideration of the new boss. What kind of manager are they? Are there any weird feelings about it? How long will it take to break them in?

6. It really, really sucks more being the manager through all this. Trust me.