M&A integration food for thought
1) Where are we going?
Start a conversation with your leadership team about how the new organization will create value in the future. The place you’re going doesn’t exist yet. You get to invent it.
2) How can we get there?
How will the new organization operate? How will it satisfy customers? Which people, processes, and technologies are needed?
3) What’s required to fortify the strategy?
How will the team execute a seamless integration? Deliver viable revenue and cost strategies? Sharpen their ability to lead through transformation?
The stakes
Experienced senior leaderss know that an effective integration hinges on a smooth transition for employees and customers. This same rigor and focus must also be dedicated to preparing the team who will lead the transition. Leverage your influence to guide the leadership team toward working together to create and extend the vision of the new organization:
- Establish a collaborative environment with integration planning that is transparent and synchronized.
- Encourage leaders to gain intimate knowledge of the day-to-day operations by talking with their people at every level, encouraging ideas and candor.
- Ask leaders to communicate specific ways their people can contribute to the new organization’s goals and how they will be rewarded.
Challenge your leadership team to lead with vision, authority, and credibility—stretching far beyond what’s been needed for the old business as usual. Inspire and instruct them on how to think and act in ways that balance the demands of the future with the needs of the present.