ESMU Winter School

2nd Alumni Seminar/Bologna/November 2004

Workshop 1Merger of Units

What did we do

• Discussion of three main topics

(i) Key Change Management Issues likely to arise

(ii) Possible Actions to adress those Issues(iii) Key Aspects of good practice

considering a brief case study and our own experiences with Mergers

Why Merging?

• To convince others the Change Management Team must be convinced itself

• Start with a proper Analysis of advantages of the Merger, involve critics and learn from them about possible disadvantages

• Build a consenus of the Leaders and Key Players of both institutions

Human Relations

• Make People Owner of the Change Process

• Build Teams from both Institutions and different parts

• Be honest and consistent (danger of „double bind“)

• Establish new Opportunities (for people commited bou also for the „loosers“ of the Merger)

Communication

• Develop a Strategy of Communication for both internal and external Stakeholders

• Practise „Informed“ Communication: Be sure to know about the results of the programmes and projects of the Merger as good as the different stakeholders do

• Try to have „consistent“ Messages, be honest to yourself and within the „inner circle“

Resources

• Be sure to have the resources you need to invest in the Merger: Additional personal to help restructuring and training, time and money

Project Management

• Good and Professional Project Management is vital: Train your own people and think about hiring people who have skills your own institutions have to build up

• Organize the Merger in Steps and Projects that are realistic and reachable

• Build Teams that have the Potential to be the first succesful examples of the cooperation of the new institution