The end (of the year) is near & we are (almost) ready to merge into 2015
The year is almost over and there are many things to reflect back on. Right now I’m focused on a cast that is keeping my broken pinky in place and making life more complicated than I’d like…. I’m certain there are many of you that have bigger things to think about as we merge into next year.
The 2014 year saw a number of mergers and/or acquisitions locally and throughout North America. Times are definitely changing.
On the subject of M&A’s, below is an article by Bob Whipple with some valuable input. No one can predict what might occur next year.
Wishing each of you a wonderful end/ of the year and all the very best for 2015!
Merry, merry & Happy, happy!
~Janis
Building Culture in a Merger
When two organizations merge or there is an acquisition, the ability for the two cultures to work well together is paramount. This aspect is most often the stumbling block that prevents the merged unit from being successful.
Managers often assume this will happen naturally over time, so they give this aspect little attention when planning the merger.
WRONG!
Achieving a stable culture where people are at least supportive, if not enthusiastically driving a singular mindset, is the most significant challenge for most change efforts. Do not assume things will work out; instead, take a highly proactive approach to defining a new culture.
In every case, even when the action is described as a merger of equals, one group will feel they have been “taken over” by the other. Curiously, in many instances, both groups feel they have been taken over because employees in each former group need to modify their procedures to accomplish the union. Usually, one of the parties is assumed to be in the driver’s seat, so it is the other party that needs to endure the bulk of changing systems.
Lack of trust and genuine animosity lead to resistance when it comes to blending the two groups into one. It is common to have the conflict occur as passive resistive behavior. People will have the appearance of agreeing, but subversively undermine the other group however possible. This kind of “we – they” thinking can go on for years if allowed.
What actions can management take to mitigate the schism and promote unity?
Here are a dozen ideas that can help:
1. Start early –
Do not let the inevitable seeds of doubt and suspicion grow in the dark. Work quickly after the merger is announced to have teambuilding activities. Openly promote good team spirit and put some money into developing a mutually supportive culture. Good teamwork is not rocket science, but it does not occur naturally. There must be investments to accomplish unity.
2. Have zero tolerance for silo thinking –
This is hard to accomplish because human beings will polarize if given the opportunity. Set the expectation that people will at least try to get along at all times.
Monitor the wording in notes and conversations carefully and call people out when they put down the other group. This monitoring needs to include body language. Often rolling eyes or other expressions give away underlying mistrust.
3. 
Blend the populations as much as possible –
Transplant key individuals from Group A with counterparts from Group B. If this is done with care, it will not take long for the individual cultures to be hard to tell apart. Sometimes the transplanting process is unpopular, but it is an important part of the integration.
4. Use the Strategic Process –
It is important to have a common set of goals and a common vision. If the former groups have goals that are not perfectly aligned, then behaviors are going to support parochial thinking.
When conflicts arise, check to see if the goals are really common or if there is just lip service on this point.
5. Reward good teamwork –
Seek out examples of selfless behavior from one group toward the other and promote these as bellwether activities. Verbal and written reinforcement from the top will help a lot. You might consider some kind of award for outstanding integration behavior.
6. Model integrated behavior at the top –
Often we see animosity and lack of trust at the highest levels, so it is only natural for the lower echelon to be bickering.
People have the ability to pick up on the tiny clues in wording and body language. The leaders need to walk the talk on mutual respect.
7. Co-locate groups where possible –
Remote geography always tends to build polarization in any organization. If merged groups can be at least partially located under one roof, it will help to reduce suspicion by lack of contact.
If cohabitation is cost prohibitive, it is helpful to have frequent joint meetings, especially at the start of the integration process.
8. Benchmark other organizations –
Select one or two companies who have done a great job of blending cultures and send a fact finding team made up of representatives from each group to identify best practices.
This team can be the nucleus of cooperation attitudes that can allow unity to spread through the entire population.
9. Make celebrations include both groups –
Avoid letting one group celebrate milestones along the way while the other group is struggling. Make sure the celebrations are for progress toward the ultimate culture instead of sub-unit performance.
10. Align measures with joint behavior –
Make sure the performance measures are not contributing to silo thinking. If the goals are aligned for joint performance, have the measures reinforce behaviors toward those goals.
Often, well intentioned measures actually drive activity that is directly opposite to the intended result. One way to test for this potential is to ask, “what if someone pushes this measure to the extreme – will that still produce the result we want”?
11. Weed out people who cannot adjust –
A certain percentage of the population in either group are going to find it difficult to get over the grieving process. Identify these individuals and help them find roles in some other organization.
It will help both the merger process and the individual. On the flip side, identify the champions of integration early and reward them with more exposure and more span of control.
12. Create incentives for the desired behavior –
People should be encouraged in every way to act and think in an integrated way. This can be encouraged by having the incentive plans pay out only if both units perform seamlessly.
If something awful happens with the business during the integration, don’t panic. Often by working through a crisis or emergency, the vestiges of the old order are wiped out and a strong joint identity emerges. Use any type of problem as a way to draw people together in a stronger union rather than a reason to focus blame on one particular group.
The road to a fully functioning integrated culture can be long and frustrating. By following the ideas given above, an organization can hasten the day when there are few memories of the old cultures, and people feel a sense of belonging to a single new order.
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Bob Whipple, MBA, CPLP is CEO of Leadergrow Incorporated, an organization dedicated to the development of leaders. He has spoken onleadership and trust in numerous venues across the country. Mr. Whipple and was named one of the Top 15 Thought Leaders on Leadership Development in the nation by Leadership Excellence Magazine and as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders on Trust by Trust Across America: Trust Around the World for the past five years.
Mr. Whipple is the author of four leadership books:
- The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals (2003)
- Understanding E‐Body Language: Building Trust Online (2006)
- Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind (2009)
- Trust in Transition: Navigating Organizational Change (2014)