Building Through Chaos: Supporting Teams During Reorgs and Structural Change

At its core this session is about a ReOps team that endured three organizational restructures and two direct layoffs, learning critical lessons about resilience the hard way. We’ll explore the paradox of building stable support systems in unstable environments: when to centralize for efficiency versus decentralize for survival, maintaining credibility through constant change, and protecting those who protect others. Essential for anyone building or leading any team in volatile times.

Attendees gain both mindset shifts and practical tools for leading teams through volatility. You’ll learn how to anticipate and prepare for structural changes, make strategic tradeoffs under pressure, communicate effectively when you don’t have all the answers, and protect your team’s well-being while delivering results. The session provides examples of what worked, what failed spectacularly, and why so you can avoid common pitfalls and build practices designed for resilience from day one.

A social scientist at heart, I currently lead the Design Research Operations and Enablement team in Cisco's Security, AI & Platform Design organization. Combining my own research experiences while continuously building management experiences, I lead a ReOps team that focuses on empowering people to do their best research under any circumstances. By championing scalable, open, and ethical research practices, I help teams navigate ambiguity and reduce administrative burden, so they can focus on impactful insights.