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Orchestrating Success

Assessing and integrating leadership teams in M&A.

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ReadanybookorpaperonsuccessfulM&Aintegrationandanumberofwell-establishedsuccessfactorsemerge–Definingaclearvisionforthenewbusiness;announcingthetopteamearly;communicatingopenlyandfrequently;andothers.

Surprisingly,oneareathatisrarelymentioneddespiteunderpinningalloftheseistheneedtobuildastrong,integratedleadershipteamasearlyaspossible.This‘missinglink’isnotablyabsentintraditionalintegrationbestpractice,whichtypicallyfocuseson‘harder’aspectsofintegration.Integrationisoneofthemostcomprehensivetypesofchangethatanybusinessundertakes,andsuccessisdrivenbycommunication,collaboration,compromise,andmutualsupport;allleadingtothefamous(andfamously-elusive)‘1+1=3’.Itrequiresnotjustahighlevelofcapabilityandcommitmentfrombusinessleadersasindividuals,italsodemandsstrong,highly-performingmanagementteamsfromthetopdown.

AnyonewhohaswitnessedM&Afromthetopwillknowinstinctivelythatastrongexecutiveteamisvitalwhennavigatingthestormyweatherthatintegrationbrings.Withoutit,noamountofprogrammeplanning,riskmanagementorcommunicationswillkeeptheshipontrack.

ThewisestofM&Aprofessionalswillalsotellyouthat,apartfrompureassetstripping,thelion’sshareofdealbenefitsrequiregoodwill,leadershipbuy-inanddiscretionaryeffortfromthekeyplayers.Buttheconundrumisthatyoudon’treallygettoknowalargenumberoftheleadersuntilafterthedealcloses.Thispresentsthoseinchargewithasetofpeople-basedchallengesfromDay1:

§ Youcan’tassumethatleadersonbothsidesareautomaticallysupportiveofthedeal.Theyusuallyneedsomeconvincing;

§ Theirabilitytoleadthebusinessinanewdirectionorenvironment,andaccordingtonew‘rulesofthegame’,isunconfirmed;

§ Bothsidesarelikelytotreateachotherwithsuspicion,andinsomecasesmistrust;

§ Previousteamsaredismantledovernightbytheprocess,andnewrelationshipsandteamstaketimetoreplacethem;

§ Attitudes,assumptions,andacceptedbehaviours(thecomponentsofan‘organisationalculture’)areunknownacrossthedealdivide;

§ Everyone–includingthoseinthetopteam–isfacingahighdegreeofpersonaluncertainty,changeandstress,regardlessofwhatagreementsyoumayhavestruckwiththem.

Integration is one of the most comprehensive types of change that any business undertakes, and success is driven by communication, collaboration, compromise, and mutual support; all leading to the famous (and famously-elusive) ‘1+1=3’.

It requires not just a high level of capability and commitment from business leaders as individuals, it also demands strong, highly-performing management teams from the top down.

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Experiencedacquirersfindwaystofocusonboththe‘task’oftheintegrationandthe‘reality’oftherelationship.Failuretodosowillleadtoanumberofcommonsymptoms:

§ Increasinglydemotivated,andinsomecasesquietlyresistant,newly-acquiredmanagersultimatelyleavingthebusiness;

§ Tensionsorolddisputeswithinyourownlegacyteamresurfacingandpollutingtheneworganisation;

§ Beingblindsidedbyaseeminglytrivialissuethatresultsinalossofsupportfromoneofyourtopteammembers,soderailingtheprocess;

§ Significantly-reducedspeedandefficiencyofdecision-making,leadingtoadelayinbenefitsrealisationoraddedcost;

§ Aslowerosionofconfidenceinthecapabilitiesofanewly-acquiredmanager;

§ Persistentuncertaintyandrumourstricklingdownfromthetopofthebusinesstolowerlevels,distractingindividualsandslowingdownoperations;

§ Lackofleadershipteamingatthetopgivingyou‘nooption’buttokeeptheentitiesseparate,sopreventingdealbenefitsfrombeingrealised.

So,thekeyquestionsreallyare:Howareacquiringfirmshelpingthetwoleadershipgroupscometogetherasasingle,high-performingteamasquicklyaspossible?Howwelldodeal-makersunderstandtherealabilityandcommitmentofmanagerstobuildthisnew,integrated,leadershipteambeforethedealisstruck?

Despiteitsabsencefrommainstreampost-closeintegrationpractice,understandingtheleadersyouplantoacquire,andhowtheymightfitintoyourplansforthefuture,isincreasinglyrecognisedasanimportantpartofpre-dealassessment.Onceacquired,specificapproachestointegratingthenewleadershipteam,andensuringtheretentionofkeyindividualswithinthatteam,needtobecomeacorepartofintegrationbestpracticeinfuture.Thispapernowoutlinessomekeyprinciplesdesignedtoincreasethelikelihoodofastrong,integratedleadershipteampost-acquisition.

We often see a transformation of the context within which a newly-acquired business operates: from slaying dragons to rescuing princesses.

Leadership is situational: The strongest leaders will adapt, provided they are properly supported.

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UNDERSTANDTHENEEDSOFTOMORROW’SBUSINESS,NOTTODAY’S

Itisvitaltolookattomorrow’saspirationalbusinessratherthanthetwolegacybusinesseswhenconsideringnewleaders.Whilebeingrespectfulofthepast,avoidthetemptationtoassessleaders(formallyorinformally)basedsolelyonyourcurrentbusiness.“Icanseeherworkingreallywellinourgrouptoday,it’saperfectfit”iscommonlyheard,butmayleadyoutothewrongconclusion.Beforecommittingtoviewsonindividuals,beclearonthefollowing:

§ Whatwillthecombinedbusinesslooklikepost-close?WhatarethelikelyprioritiesandchallengesthatwillemergefromthefutureVision&Strategy?

§ HowbigisthegapbetweenthisfutureVisionandtoday’sreality?Howmuchchangewillbeneededoneitherside?

§ Whatkindofleaderswillweneedtodeliverintegration?Whatskills,experience,behavioursandmotivationswillbekey?

§ Whatkindofleaderswillthebusinessneedonceintegrationiscomplete?Itisoftenthecasethatgoodchange/transformationmanagersarenotbestplacedin‘steadystate’situations.

§ Howwillsuccessionplanningandleadershipcapabilitybedevelopedovertime?

Weoftenseeatransformationofthecontextwithinwhichanewly-acquiredbusinessoperates:Managersintheacquiredentitymayhavebeenknee-deepintherealityofdailysurvivalandfirefighting:“Unlessweslaythedragontoday,therewillbenotomorrow.”Successfulmanagersinthiscontextusuallydemonstratestrongdecision-making,clearcommunications,aruthlessfocusondelivery,andanauthoritarianleadershipstyle.Incontrast,theacquireroftenhasalonger-term,morevisionaryperspectivebasedonopportunity,investmentandgrowth:“Forgetaboutdragons-theworldisfullofprincessesouttherejustwaitingtoberescued!”Rescuingtheseprincesseswillrequirevision,opennesstonewideasandopportunities,comfortwithrisk,andalonger-termperspectiveandpatience.Thisisaboutmindsetaswellascapability,andhelpingmanagersintothisnewgamerequirescarefulhandling.Thereshouldbearecognitionoftheskillsandeffortsusedinthepasttoslaydragons,andastrongsignalaboutthechangeofcontextandfocusforthefuture.Leadershipissituational:Thestrongestleaderswilladapt,providedtheyareproperlysupported.

It is important to build some kind of broad sketch of the human side of the deal as soon as possible – ultimately it is they, not you, on whom successful integration will depend!

How you deal with the tough people issues will be equally significant - they will remember your approach for a long time to come.

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Evenwherealeadercanbeeffectiveinbothcontexts,perceptioncanbeasimportantasreality:Ifnewly-acquiredleadersaresuddenlybeingaskedtoleadtheirteaminanentirelynewdirection,theywillneedhelpastheyopenlyrevisitoldassumptions,challengetheirownlegacydecisions,andre-engagetheircolleagueswithanewVisionandStrategy.

Whenacquiringprivatebusinesses,alsokeepinmindthechangeinpersonalcircumstancesofanyowner-managersyouwishtoretain:Someofthemmayhaveachievedfinancialindependencethroughthesale,presentingthemwithnewoptionsandmotivations;theymayalsoseeamarkedly-differentlandscapeofopportunitiesforadvancementwithinthenewfirm–forthebetterorworse.Addtothisacommonclashbetween‘smallbusiness’vs‘largebusiness’culturesandtheirengagementwithinthenewbusinessisalmostcertaintochange.Wealwaysrecommendthatacquirersconsiderup-frontwhattheywoulddoifanyoftheseindividualsdiscoverthathiddenpassionforgolf,travel,orevenanewbusinessstart-up(inacompetingfield?)threeorsixmonthspost-close.

SEEBEYONDTHEDEALTHROUGHTOTHEPEOPLE

Onceyouhaveestablishedthevisionfortomorrow’sbusiness,attentionshouldshifttoindividualleaders.Specifically:

§ Experience,trackrecord,skillsandmixofcapabilities;

§ Style:Whataretheyknownfor?Whatarethe360°perceptions?

§ Strengthofrelationships,whatthoserelationshipsarebasedon,andimportantlytheirpropensitytobuildnewrelationships;

§ Aspirationsandspecificmotivations;

§ Theirattitudeandapproachtotheacquisition,andinparticulartheirdegreeofflexibility(thinkalsoabouttheirwillingnesstochangerole,portfolioand/orlocation);

§ Theiroverallvaluetothefuturebusiness:Whatwouldtheirretentionreallymeanversustheirdeparture?

Assessmentofpeopleisaspecialistfieldandchallengingatthebestoftimes.Thisismorechallengingpre-closewhenaccesstoaccurate,consistentinformationisdifficult.Evenmoredifficultarescenariosinvolvinghostiletakeovers,whenaccesstoindividualsisimpossible,andnegative,confrontationalmind-setscanbefirmlyinplace.Regardless,itisimportanttobuildsomekindofbroadsketchofthishumansideassoonaspossible–ultimatelyitisthey,notyou,onwhomsuccessfulintegrationismostlikelygoingtodepend!

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Recognisingthatleadershipassessmentisnotanexactscience,therearetwoimportantconsiderations.First,openyourinquirywidelytomakeuseofadiversesetofinformationsources.Thepre-dealdataroomitselfwillalmostcertainlycontainperformancerecords,workhistory,involvementinkeyprojects–asimpleinformalcountofthenumberoftimesindividualsarereferencedindocumentation,andhowbroadly,willgiveagoodfirstindicationoftheirimportancetothecurrentbusiness,andthescopeoftheirexpertiseandinfluencebeyondtheirformaltitle.Aswellasperformancedata,considerinformalsources,e.g.informationfromsocialnetworkingsitessuchasLinkedInandFacebook,publishedarticles,andanecdotalinformationfromcustomers,suppliers,andotherpartnerstobuildapicture.

Second,andmostimportantofall,acceptthatallinformationisindicativeandnotconclusive.Peoplecanandoftendochange,andviewsfromothersaresubjectiveandcontextual.Attemptingtoconductanassessmentofindividualsinthesamewayasyouwouldvalidateafinancialbusinesscaseisarecipefordisaster.GetprofessionaladvicefromspecialistsandtrustedHRcolleaguestoremainobjective.

Wheredesiredandpossible(e.g.aftertheannouncementofafriendlyacquisitionormerger),morespecificassessmentscanalsobeconducted,e.g.:

§ Self-assessmentsaroundkeyleadershipcharacteristicsandpersonalitytype;

§ Leadershipsurveysand/orinterviewstorevealindividualvaluesandbehaviours,leadershipstylesandaspirations;

§ Broaderculturalsurveystoidentifybroaderandmoreendemictrends;

§ Formalteamassessmentstoconsidertheeffectivenessanddynamicsofmanagementteams;

§ Informalgroupmeetingstodiscussgoals,priorities,workingstylesetc.;andtoobserveandassessteamdynamics.

Regardlessofyourapproach,assessleadersonbothsidesofthedeal,andbepreparedtoaddresstheconsequences.Oneleaderworkingoutofalignment,oronebrokenrelationshipisenoughtodamagetheentiretopteam.It’salsoworthrememberingthathowyoudealwiththetoughpeopleissueswillbeequallysignificant-peoplewillrememberyourapproachforalongtimetocome.

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PREPAREYOURLEADERS,ANDTHEBUSINESS,FORTHEJOURNEY

Integrationrepresentsoneofthemostunsettlingandchallengingtimesinanymanager’scareer,andheorshewillneedinformation,encouragementandsupporttohelpthemprepareforthechangestocome–notfromDay1,butfromthemomenttheybecomeawareofthepotentialdeal.Thingsyoucandointherun-uptoDay1include:

1. Communicateandengage:Inmanycases,thepotentialsaleofabusinessiswidelysuspectedorknownwellbeforesuitorscometocall.Ontheoppositeside,acquirersneedtoinvolvetheirownmanagersacrossarangeofdisciplinesiftheyintendtoleveragetherightrangeofskillsandexperiencefortargetassessment,duediligence,andintegrationplanning.Incaseswhereregulatoryapprovalisrequired,manymonthsmaypassfollowingannouncementduringwhichuncertaintyandrumourswillpermeatetheorganisation.Seniorbusinessleadersarenomoreimmunetothisconditionthananyoneelse;ifanything,theirlevelofconcernwillbehighertoreflectabeliefthattheirpositionmaybeatrisk,arelocationmayberequested,orthattheirrolemaychange.Assoonasanyindividualbusinessleaderistoldofthepotentialdeal–regardlessoftheirroleorinvolvementinthetransactionitself–thatisthepointfromwhichyouneedtohaveaplantohelpthemremainfocused,engagedandsupportiveofthebusinessgoingforward.

Basicchangemanagementconceptsarehelpfulhere-ensurethatthoseawareofanupcomingdeal:

- Understandwhatbenefitsthedealmaybringtothebusiness;

- Share(oratleastunderstand)yourvisionforthefuturepost-close;

- Understandtheprocessor‘bridge’bywhichthisvisionwillbe reached.Watchfortheirimmediatereactiontothenews,andwherepossibletakestepstoaddressanyconcernsorissues.Remember:Regardlessofhowbeneficialthedealmaybeforthebusiness,orhowexcitedyoumaybeabouttheopportunity,yourleadershipcolleagueswillnotautomaticallybeinthesameplace,andwillinstinctivelythinkabouttheimplicationsforthemwellbeforeanyconsiderationofthebusiness.Youhavealreadytakenseveralstepsalongthisjourney,andneedtogiveyourteammemberstimeandhelptocatchup,especiallyifyouneedtheirsupportinmakingtherightdealhappensmoothly.

Integration represents one of the most unsettling and challenging times in any manager’s career, and he or she will need information, encouragement and support to help them prepare for the changes to come – not from Day 1, but from the moment they become aware of the potential deal.

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2. Prepareforleaks:Eventhemostconfidentialdealcyclescanseeinformationleakintotherestoftheorganisation,andfromthereintothepublicdomain.Oftenittravelsintheotherdirection:Employeesandmanagerswillhearnewsofapotentialdealthroughthepress,fedbyanalystspeculationdesignedtoflushoutthetruth,orthroughleaksspringingfromthemultitudeofthirdpartyfirmsinvolvedoneithersideofthetransaction.Asyourabilitytoconstrainorpreventsuchleaksislimited,thebestdefencereliesonmitigationandcontingency.Alongsideyourpre-dealprocess,puttogether–andkeepupdated–simplepressstatementsorothercommunicationproductstobepulledofftheshelf,tailoredandusedtorespondtoaleakquickly.Meanwhile,briefeveryone‘intheknow’onhowtorespondtoemployeeorexternalquestions.Simplemeasuressuchasthiscanhelpkeepuncertaintyanddistractionamongtheleadershipteamlow,whilealsosometimespreventingarumoureddealfromprecipitatinganearlyexitbyoneofyourownteam.

3. Engagetheleadershipindesigningthefuture:Aswe’vediscussedelsewhere1,thebestwaytoengageleadersintheprocess,andtobuildanewleadershipteam,istohavethemhelpinformandsupportthecreationofaVision,StrategyandOperatingModelforthefuturecombinedbusiness.Engagementandsupportgrowsoutofasenseofcontrolandempowerment,sogivingthemtheopportunitytocometogethertodiscussstrategy,structures,processes,capabilities,cultureandmorewillbringthemtogether,encourageconstructivedebate,helpnewteamdynamicstoemerge,andmakeuseofthecollectiveexperienceandaspirationsofthecombinedgroup.Asausefulby-product,youwillalsobeabletoquicklybuildabetterpictureofindividualleadersbasedontheirreaction,approachandengagementwiththisprocess.

4. Begintalentretentionearly:Amanager’sdecisiontoleavethebusinessmayhavebeenmadewellbeforethedealcloses,especiallyifleaks,rumoursandambiguityarewidespread.Aspartofleadershipassessment,considernotjusttheirsuitabilityforthenewbusiness,butalsotheircriticalitytofuturesuccess.Wherenecessary,youmayneedtobringsomeindividualsintothedealcircletocalmtheirsuspicions;wherenotappropriate,takeothermeasurestomakesuretheyknowthattheirlong-termvaluetothebusinessisappreciated,andthattheirdriversforengagementaresatisfied,whateverthosedriversmaybe.Wherepossible,workopenlywithbusinessownersontheothersideofthedealtoensurethattheirowntoptalentissimilarlylookedafter–theirwillingnesstodothisonyourbehalfwillspeakvolumesabouttheirownplansforthefuture!

1DesigningaNewBusinessModel,BeyondtheDealLLP2009

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CREATETHETEAM

Manymodelsexistthatdefinehigh-performingteams,andthatfacilitatetheircreationandmaintenance.Therewillinevitablybeaperiodofprogressionto‘form,storm,normandperform’,buttakegreatcaretoensurethereisalsoanopportunityforthemto‘mourn’thepast!Thisisoftenignoredormissed,especiallywiththepressureofintegrationandthedesiretofocusondelivery.Failuretodothiswillcreateroomforpassengersalongthejourney,whocanoccasionallybecomescepticsandevencynicsifleftunchecked.

OneexampleistheHighPerformingTeam(HPT)ModeldevelopedbyConnectwelltohelpnewly-formedteams–andtheindividualsthatcomprisethem–explore,shareandimprovetheirteamperformance(seebelow).

Regardless of how beneficial the deal may be for the business, or how excited you may be about the opportunity, your colleagues will not automatically be in the same place, and will instinctively think about the implications for them well before any consideration of the business.

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Groupsessionstoexploredifferencesinvalues,assumptionsandperspectivescanalsohelpbreakdownbarriersofsuspicionandmistrust.Inconjunctionwithmoreformalcultural,teamperformance,orleadershipassessments,thisisoftenthebeststartingpointforunderstandingwhatculturaldifferencesexistacrossthebusiness,whichofthesearegenuinelyimportanttoaddressgoingforward,andhowbesttoalignthem.ThefamouslyhighrateofM&Afailuresresultingfrom‘culturaldifferences’almostalwaysreflectsatitsheartaninabilityforleadershipteamstocometogether–thinkTimeWarnerAOLandDaimlerChrysler.Weretheirbusinessculturestrulyincompatible,orwasinsufficientattentionpaidtothecreationofasingleexecutiveteam?Sincethelatterisgenerallyacknowledgedtodrivetheformer,webelieveit’stimetobegintothinkdifferentlyaboutculturalchangeinintegration:IfLeadershipTeambuildingisreducedtoasinglelineitemonanIntegrationPlan,itcandangerouslyunderestimatetheeffortandcomplexityofthetask.Whileacollectionofpeoplecanbequicklybroughttogetherintheexecutivemeetingroom,teamsemergeovertime.Theyareconstantlyadaptingandevolving,anddeserveongoinginvestmentlikeanyotherpartofthebusiness.

Aunifiedteamneedsaunifiedvisiontodrawthemtogether,somethingthatcanberealisedthroughtheirinvolvementinOperatingModeldesign.Equallycriticalistheneedforclearroleswithintheteam.Thisismorethanasimpleunderstandingof‘whoisresponsibleforwhat’inafunctionalororganisationalsense;thisisalsoaboutrecognisingandappreciatingthedifferentrolesindividualsplaywithintheteam:Whodoothersintheteamlooktowhenthere’saneedfornew,unconventionalideas?Whobestchallengesgroup-think?Whohelpstheteamstayfocusedondecisionstobemadeunderpressure?Successfulteamsaremadeupofindividualstakingtheseandotherroles,underpinnedbyasharedsenseoftrustandrespectforthecontributionthateachmembermakes.

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GETPEOPLEWORKINGTOGETHER

Asimplebuteffectivetacticistobuildone-to-onerelationshipsthroughmutualinvolvementinintegrationandoperations.Setjointprojectswithsharedobjectivesandrewards,andactivelyencourageindividualstospendtimeateachothers’workinglocation.Considertemporaryrelocationsforthefirst12monthspost-close.Expandtheuseofface-to-facemeetings,andencourageindividualsto‘pickupthephone’ratherthancommunicatebyemail–whenrelationshipsareneworfragile,emailscanbethebestwaytospreadmisunderstanding,inaccurateassumptionsandnegativeperceptions,nottomentionextendingthetimerequiredtoreachagreementanddecisions.Typicalprojectscaninclude:

§ Analysis&designtosupport,e.g.,productportfolioharmonisation,officerelocations;

§ Planningforspecificintegrationinitiativesorworkstreams;

§ Development&issueofnewslettersandothercross-entitycommunications;

§ Designanddeploymentof‘first100days’processes,e.g.tosharebusinessopportunities,exchangecontactinformation,consolidateforecastingandfinancialinformation;

§ Identificationandapplicationofbestpracticesandprocessesacrossbothentities.

Asanyexperiencedintegratorwillconfirm,assigningclearownershipofintegrationobjectivestolinemanagersiskey.Inadditiontothis,earlyinclusionofnewly-acquiredmanagersintoyourowncorebusinessactivitieswillalsoacceleratetheprocess.Thishastheaddedbenefitofhelpingthemunderstandyourownbusinessmorequickly.Involvetheminplanning,reporting,budgeting,leadershipmeetings,qualityaudits,andanyother‘signature’processesinyourbusiness.

The famously high rate of M&A failures resulting from ‘cultural differences’ almost always reflects at its heart an inability for leadership teams to come together.

Were their business cultures truly incompatible, or was insufficient attention paid to the creation of a single executive team?

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HELPMANAGERSTHROUGHTHECHANGE

Whilesomeleadersembraceuncertaintyandchange,otherswillfindtheprocessofacquisitionandintegrationdifficult.Atthebeginningofthispaperwecitedsomechallengesfortheacquiringbusinessleader;nowconsiderthesefromtheperspectiveofthenewly-acquiredmanager:FromDay1,heorsheisfacedwith:

§ Newbosseswithunknownexpectationsandworkingstyles;

§ Newandsometimesunfamiliarresponsibilitiesfordeliveringintegrationobjectives;

§ Newcross-siteworkingenvironmentsthatmayincludenewlanguagebarriers,virtualteams,andmultipletimezones;

§ Anunspokenimperativetomaintainday-to-daybusinessperformance;

§ Unclearobjectives&‘rulesofthegame’;

§ and–forawhileatleast–alackofcertaintyaroundtheirownthefuture,whateverpositionsandassurancestheymayhavebeengiven.

Tailoredsupportformanagerscanhelpthemretainfocusandperformance,givethemanopportunitytoletoffsteam,andallowthemtobetterinterpretandunderstandtheirobservations,conclusionsandemotions.Thiscanbeprovidedbyprofessionalcoaches,orthroughtheassignmentofa‘buddy’ormentorfromtheoppositeorganisation.ThisisadvocatedinConnectwell’sHighPerformingTeamModelinitsreferenceto‘OpennessandSupport’.

Assessmentsandgroupdiscussionsregardingculturaldifferencesemergingbetweengroupscanalsobeausefulstartingpointtohelpleadersunderstandanddealwithsomeoftheaddedpressurestheyface.

Inadditiontoourownresearchandexperience,thisarticledrawsuponroundtablediscussionsheldbyexecutivemembersofCriticaleyeinMay2010.WeandtheteamwouldalsoliketoespeciallythankThrasMoraitisofXstrataplcforhiscontributionsandinsightsintothistopic.

Tailored support for managers can help them retain focus and performance, give them an opportunity to let off steam, and allow them to better interpret and understand their observations, conclusions and emotions.

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ABOUTTHEAUTHORS

SteveBernardisfounderofConnectwell,adevelopmentcompanythathelpspeople,teamsandentireorganisationsmovebeyondtheirpotential.Previouslyaleaderintheaviationindustry,nowaregularconsultanttoexecutiveteamswithinfirmssuchasRoyalMail,AXA,CentricaandInvensys,Stevehasextensiveexperienceinleadershipteamcreationandcapabilitybuilding.

Steve’sapproachistoalwayslookbroadlyatindividuals,thegroupdynamicandthecontextwithinwhichtheyoperate,toprovidetherightsupporttotherightrelationships.ConnectwellwasbornoutofSteve’smanyyearsofexperienceinindustryandconsultingduringwhichthisapproachhasbeenabsent,tothedetrimentofchangeanddevelopmentinitiatives.

Stevecanbecontactedatsteve@connectwell.co.uk.

CarlosKeenerisaspecialistinM&AIntegration,andthefounderofBeyondtheDeal,abusinessthatprovidesacquisitionandintegrationstrategy,planningandexecutionsupporttoclientsworldwide.InadditiontoleadingM&Aandintegrationprogrammes,Carlosadvisesbusinessesoncorporateandacquisitionstrategy;enterpriseoperatingmodeldesign;integrationstrategy,planningandexecution;andturnaroundofpoorlyperformingacquisitions.

BeforeestablishingBeyondtheDealin2001,CarloswasaseniorconsultantatPricewaterhouseCoopers,andaseniormanagerwithinAccenture’sCorporateStrategyandM&Apractice.BasedintheUK,Carlos’workhastakenhimacrossEurope,theUS,Africa,LatinAmerica,theMiddle-East,andtheFar-East.

Carloscanbecontactedatcarlos.keener@btd.consulting

BTDisanindependentspecialistfirmprovidingmerger,acquisitionandintegrationsupporttobusinessesaroundtheworld.

ASSESSING&INTEGRATINGLEADERSHIPTEAMS:FIVEBETTERPRACTICESFORACQUISITION&INTEGRATION

1. Understandtheleadershipneedsoftomorrow’sbusiness,nottoday’s.Whatkindofleaderswillweneedtodeliverintegrationandthefuturebusiness?Whatskills,experience,behavioursandmotivationswillbekey?

2. Seebeyondthedealthroughtopeople–experience,style,motivations,relationships,attitudetothedeal,personalcontext.

3. Prepareyourleadersforthejourney.Startoncetheybecomeawareofthedeal,notfromDay1.

4. Createtheteam.GetpeopleworkingtogetherontheOperatingModelasquicklyaspossible.

5. Helpyourmanagersthroughthechange.Acknowledgethechangetheyareexperiencing,andhelpthemsupporttheirownteams.Coaching,buddyingandothermechanismscanmakeabigdifferencetotheirabilitytodeliverintegration.

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