Every day I work with leaders and staff who are enduring the challenges of reorganizations that sometimes lead to massive layoffs.  The impact is that people are left grieving, afraid, and wondering if they even matter.  They are traumatized watching their trusted colleagues leave, teams dissolved, responsibilities change, and decisions happen without their input or even any warning.

When this happens, people may begin to wonder whether their work still matters, whether leaders see their contributions, whether they have a future in the organization or if they will be the next on the list to go.  As a result, they wonder whether it is safe to speak honestly about what is not working or whether speaking could put their livelihood in the line of fire. 

When people feel undervalued, the answer is not to ignore, offer contrite reassurance, praise, or a generic “thank you’s.” Those gestures while possibly meaningful under normal circumstances, are not enough on their own during times of challenge. Restoring trust requires attention, curiosity, consistency, and a genuine willingness to change how we relate to people.

Here are five ways leaders, managers, and executives can help an restore trust helping undervalued employees feel seen, heard, and valued again.

Ask meaningful questions—and listen for the real answer

Active listening is essential, but powerful questions often open the door to the conversation that needs to happen first. When we ask the right questions, we are more likely to understand the source of someone’s feeling of being undervalued.

Instead of assuming that an employee is upset because of a title change, a missed promotion, or a workload issue, get curious. The stated concern may be only one part of a larger experience. Perhaps they feel excluded from decisions affecting their work. Maybe their expertise is routinely overlooked in meetings. They may be carrying more responsibility without greater authority, support, or acknowledgment.

Try questions such as:

• “What has this transition been like for you?”
• “What has changed in your day-to-day work that feels most difficult?”
• “When have you felt that your perspective was not considered?”
• “What would help you feel more supported or included moving forward?”
• “What do you want leaders to better understand about your role or contribution?”

Then pause long enough to hear the answer.

Curious, engaged listening does more than gather information. It communicates that a person’s experience matters. It also creates the conditions for rapport, trust, and psychological safety—the shared sense that it is safe to raise concerns, offer ideas, or acknowledge uncertainty without fear of punishment or humiliation. Research on employee voice consistently links psychological safety with people’s willingness to contribute ideas and speak up about problems.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+1

The goal is not to interrogate someone until they can justify their feelings. The goal is to understand their reality well enough to respond with care and accountability.

Personalize support—and create real opportunities for voice

Once you understand what matters to a colleague, you can shape interactions and support in ways that are responsive to their actual needs. This is where leaders move beyond one-size-fits-all appreciation.

For one employee, feeling valued may mean having clearer priorities and authority to make decisions. For another, it may mean being invited into planning conversations earlier rather than being informed after a decision is already made. Someone else may value direct acknowledgment of their expertise, opportunities to develop new skills, or a manager who checks in consistently during a period of change.

Personalization matters because it shows that you are paying attention to the individual, not simply applying a generic engagement tactic. Recognition is most meaningful when it is timely, genuine, and specific about what the person did and why it mattered. 

Still, personalized responses are not enough if the organization continues to exclude people from the conversations that shape their work. A leader cannot say, “Your voice matters,” while consistently making decisions without the employee’s input.

Invite employees to participate in projects, meetings, planning discussions, and problem-solving sessions where their knowledge can make a difference. Ask for their perspective before decisions are finalized, not after the outcome is already determined.

For example, if a reorganization changes a clinical team’s workflow, do not only announce the new process. Bring the people closest to the work into the design conversation. Ask: “Where will this process break down?” “What are we not seeing?” “What would make this workable for patients and staff?” Inclusion becomes credible when people can see their input affecting decisions.

Ask for feedback continuously—and respond visibly

If you want to know whether your efforts are helping someone feel more valued, ask them. Do not assume that your intentions are automatically experienced as care, respect, or inclusion.

Encourage feedback and listen actively when it is offered. You might say:

“I want to make sure my actions—not just my intentions—are helping. What am I doing that is useful, and what should I do differently?”

This question requires humility. It also requires a willingness to hear feedback without becoming defensive, explaining it away, or asking the employee to comfort you for receiving it.

When feedback identifies a concern, make adjustments early and often. Then close the loop. Let the employee know what you heard, what you are changing, and what constraints may limit what can change immediately. Even when you cannot deliver the exact outcome someone wants, transparency builds more trust than silence or vague reassurance.

For instance: “You told me that you learn about decisions too late to offer useful input. Beginning next month, I will bring draft workflow changes to the team huddle before they are finalized. I cannot promise every suggestion will be adopted, but I can ensure the team has a chance to identify risks and propose alternatives.”

Positive feedback does not mean the work is complete. Trust is not restored through one conversation, one recognition moment, or one improved meeting. Continue to monitor how you communicate, how decisions are made, and how the employee experiences everyday interactions.

Be consistent, especially when the urgency fades

Consistency is often the difference between appreciation that feels genuine and appreciation that feels performative.

In the immediate aftermath of a reorganization, leaders may hold listening sessions, send thoughtful messages, and make themselves visible. But once the initial disruption settles, old habits can return: rushed communication, limited transparency, canceled one-on-ones, and decisions made behind closed doors.

Employees notice the pattern.

Feeling valued is built through repeated experiences: being asked for input, receiving follow-through, being acknowledged for meaningful contributions, getting clear information, and being treated with respect even when conversations are difficult. Consistency tells people, “You do not have to earn basic consideration every time something changes.”

This does not require perfection. Leaders will miss things, make mistakes, and sometimes need to say, “I did not handle that well.” What matters is the repair: acknowledging the impact, taking responsibility, and demonstrating a different behavior next time.

Expand the learning beyond one employee

When one person tells you they feel undervalued, resist the temptation to treat it as an isolated interpersonal issue. Their experience may point to a broader pattern in the team or organization.

I often tell my clients, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” If one colleague feels excluded, unheard, or overlooked, it is worth asking whether others may be experiencing something similar—particularly those with less positional power or less comfort speaking up.

Look for patterns:

• Whose ideas receive attention in meetings?
• Who is invited into early-stage decisions?
• Who gets recognized, and for what kinds of contributions?
• Whose workload expands quietly after organizational changes?
• Who has access to influential relationships, development opportunities, and information?
• Who appears disengaged but may actually feel resigned or unseen?

Checking these patterns is not about assigning blame. It is about increasing awareness and expanding your emotional intelligence and communication flexibility. A concern raised by one person can become an opportunity to strengthen trust across an entire team.

The real work of value is rebuilding trust and safety

Making an undervalued employee feel valued again is not simply about saying the right words. It is about creating repeated evidence that their perspective, expertise, time, and humanity matter.

After a reorganization, people are often trying to determine whether they still belong. Leaders have an opportunity to answer that question not with polished messaging, but with curiosity, inclusion, responsiveness, and consistency.  This is how organizations build trust and safety when reorganization creates uncertainty and fear.  Every person deserves to know that they are more than a role on a chart—and that their voice still has a place in shaping what comes next.

If you lead teams, clinicians, or executive leaders and want communication that actually lands, the R.E.M.A.P.™ framework offers a practical, brain-aligned approach to building trust, accountability, and psychological safety—one conversation at a time. Visit https://mindremappingacademy.com/courses/the-r-e-m-a-p-leadership-communication-learning-experience/ to learn more about our R.E.M.A.P communication leadership cohort.