You are the CEO of a medium-sized solar panel firm located in California. The company has been doing well so far but new regulations and rising taxes...

You are the CEO of a medium-sized solar panel firm located in California.  The company has been doing well so far but new regulations and rising taxes are hurting the profit margin.  

You have been negotiating with the Governor a tax reduction because of the company’s green status.  You would like to stay in California for the sake of the employees and the small town, which benefits largely from the company’s presence in the area.  However, talks with the Governor do not look promising.

Two of your major competitors have left the state and are now located in areas where taxes and wages are considerably cheaper.  These businesses are already cutting their prices and have taken away one of your major clients.  While you have a new product line due out in eight months, which will create a disruption in the marketplace, the wait may be too costly.  

You are considering moving the business to New Mexico and have been in negotiations with the Governor there, and it looks almost too good to be true.  The two other members of the leadership team are aware of the pending move.  Your employees however, do not know of the discussion and the possible move that may require them to relocate or lose their job.  It is time to break the news and get everyone on board.

• Explain in a memo to your leadership team how and when you want the news to be known to the staff.
• Detail the way the news should be broken and by whom.
• Discuss how competitive edge relates to the decision and its importance to timing for the move.
• Provide suggestions to the others as to how to handle the feedback you will get from the news.