Avoiding Merger Mismatches

Consolidations and mergers may be commonplace in the current economic climate, but that doesn't mean reconciling disparate corporate cultures has gotten any easier. While proactive management training would go a long way toward easing these transitions, the reality is that much work still remains to be done. Here are a few tips for companies that want to provide their managers with the skills needed to ensure success during a consolidation, courtesy of noted business advisor Lori Dernavich:

Unapplied learning is useless. There's no denying the value of expensive b-school management training programs, provided companies determine how managers put the knowledge gleaned into action. Organizing workshops for managers and employees from across the organization would be a good first step. 

Feedback isn't just an annual thing. Letting employees know how they're doing should be an ongoing process—not something reserved for a performance review. Managers should then work with employees on developing specific action plans for improvement. Put all employees through training on how to give constructive feedback and have difficult conversations.

Even managers need mentoring. Internal mentors can act as conduits for the transfer of company values, ethics, knowledge, vision, and more. Having an internal mentoring program is best, but encourage managers to find external mentors, as well.

Let go of the reins. Micromanagement is the quickest way to kill employee morale, so it's crucial managers give their changes space. When employees are afforded enough respect to take ownership of their projects, the end result can only be greater engagement.

Know your role...and everyone else's. Ask employees from different departments present at team meetings to explain their roles. Require managers to tag along on sales calls and sit in on an executive team  meetings. It’s vital that managers have familiarity with every aspect of the company.

Talk shop. It’s vital to provide a place where managers can speak openly about problems and learn from one another, as well as admit mistakes without damaging their reputation.

Comments

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[Management Dissertation]

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