Completing a successful merger is no easy feat, not least because of the challenge of integrating company cultures. No matter which side of the merger you’re on, you’ll probably be working with new people, in new departments with new leadership. You may also have to get used to new brand identities, disrupted workflows, new software systems or a new office. It may be challenging, but if you approach the transition with strategy and intention you can successfully integrate both company cultures during a merger.
Define Goals
Management should sit down and develop a clear, unified change management strategy. What growth goals is the merger trying to accomplish, and what cultural integration points must happen to support them?
Communicate
The more leaders communicate with their employees during the transition, the easier it will be for them to adjust to the new, integrated company culture. Frame specific changes as improvements, and emphasize that the company’s core ideals aren’t going anywhere.
Get People Involved
The more involved your employees feel they are in developing the new company culture, the more enthusiastic they’ll be. If the merger involves new people coming to work in your office, ask your employees to start a welcome committee, or pair people up in a buddy system so they can get used to working together.
Offer On-The-Job Training
Mergers and acquisitions can disrupt or add to workflows. Offer training sessions: they’ll help your employees get to know one another while learning the skills they’ll need to adapt to the new work environment.
At Intelex, we help mergers and acquisitions succeed by producing pre-deal intelligence reports that provide actionable insights into a target company’s culture and position in their market. To learn more, feel free to give us a call or contact us online today.