Internal restructures can leave workers confused about future

I’m not sure if you’ve been following the story about Ann Curry and her departure from the “Today” show. To sum it up: The rating wars among the morning news programs have heated up to a boiling point, and NBC felt that Curry just wasn’t delivering.

Curry revealed in an interview with USA Today that the battle for ratings “has become meaner and less focused on our responsibilities as journalists.”

Reports have been swirling for weeks that put the journalist at the center of her own story, with anonymous tips guessing what would happen to Curry, ranging from her complete departure from NBC to a new assignment with a big payout. The truth seems to be that Curry is going to be reassigned as an international and world news correspondent.

During her final broadcast this morning, Curry said:

“They’re giving me some fancy new titles, which essentially means I’m going to get tickets to every big story we want to cover with a terrific team of my choosing. We’re going to go all over the world and all over this country at a time when this country and this world needs clarity. We’re going to do great work, I hope, and we’re being given the chance to do the work that most of us got into journalism to do. And these stories are going to air on all the platforms of NBC News including here on ‘Today.’”

While Curry may be a high-profile case, many have felt the similar repercussions of an internal corporate restructure. It can be difficult to understand or know what your options are as an employee when this happens. Do you blindly accept whatever the offer is that the company is serving, or is it time to leave the organization and start fresh somewhere else?

Either way, it’s best to really evaluate the offer and see if what you’re being asked to do is aligned with your career path or personal desires. If you see opportunities opening up to you based on this restructure, then it may be best to take the change as a promising sign that shows you’re valued as an employee.

In the case of Curry, she’s being moved to another reporting assignment, so the change is minimal. Had she been moved into a desk job like sales or marketing, she may have just walked away from NBC’s offer.

Watch Curry’s goodbye from this morning’s broadcast:

How would you handle a restructure within your company if you were assigned a new position? What would be the things you would consider before accepting or declining?