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Mehta: Execute reorg rollouts within 48 hours to stop rumor mills

Saumil Mehta · An org-design masterclass from a Square GM | Saumil Mehta · Aug 31, 2023 · at 1:03:37

Square General Manager Saumil Mehta explains communication rollout strategies and timing for organizational restructuring.

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“In terms of we're ready to go and we've announced it to the whole company, if you will, that time window is usually in the neighborhood of 48 hours or less. And so we want it done in a very concentrated burst because with so many people involved, despite everybody's best intentions, word starts to get around. And so the last thing you want is this kind of open secret where the rumor mill is in full flower and people's anxieties can get overrun.”

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