Transparency is key. But so is positivity. You need to be honest with your team. But if you come across in a negative way, they will as well. It may be a hard sell, but as the leader of the team, that is what you are asked to do. If you can accept the restructure, you need to present it in a way that they can accept it as well. If in being honest you cannot stand behind the restructuring yourself, you should ask for someone higher up than you to explain it. Keep your integrity and the team will respect you more. Still do not be the negative one - your team will follow your lead. Remain neutral. This is the kind of event that can show who you are as a team leader. Motivate to get them through it well or accept it and guide them through it.

Gerüchte sollten proaktiv adressiert werden. So zeigen die Handelnden, dass sie die Belange der Mitarbeiter ernst nehmen. Hierbei braucht es Transparenz. Einfach nur zu sagen „das stimmt nicht“ wird nicht funktionieren. Vielmehr sollte im Rahmen der Aufklärung mindestens grob gesagt werden, wo man derzeit steht und wo man hinmöchte. Ggf nur „grobe“ Information, weil Transparenz nicht zwangsläufig gleichbedeutend mit allumfassender Wahrheit ist ;). Manche Aspekte eines Projekts können bspw. erst kommuniziert werden, wenn diese final sind. Daher sollte abgewogen werden, wie viele Inhalte genannt werden dürfen. Transparenz bedeutet auch: Niemals lügen. Die genannten Inhalte müssen stimmen! Andernfalls droht immenser Vertrauensverlust.

First, I would iterate a policy: “Nobody is trying to infringe upon anybody’s right to speak up, but speaking to the public about this administration is the job of the communications department. This is a friendly reminder that all public discourse including social media about this administration must be cleared with communications. If anybody feels uncomfortable with that we can part as friends, no recrimination, but that is the policy—,no exceptions.” -That is step one. Internal rumors and chatter can be quelled, discussed, debunked. Once they become public discourse you no longer control the message. Maybe an expert in organizational communication wants to take it from there.