Practical Tips To Surviving a Merger

Hardly a week goes by without news of another corporate merger. Corporate communicators facing the prospect of being "redundant assets" certainly are not unique. Many have or will face the reality of having to fight for a job. Those of us who have walked this path before know that it's important to remain acutely aware of what's going on.

Certainly, we all want to be able to control that which is important. At the same time, it's essential to remain incredibly flexible to the delights that a change like a merger may present.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it. Always do whatever you can to shape the way that events are moving."

• Know your counterpart. Continue gathering as much information as possible, including strengths, weaknesses, deliverables produced, as well as the perceptions colleagues.
• Document your best practices. Create an extensive list of your accomplishments. Be sure to have a clearly stated business case for each one.
• Know your audience. Have research results at your fingertips, and be prepared to launch ASAP a more aggressive method of information gathering. Don't be frightened by the results of your research. Be prepared to give up control to the "customer" (including your fellow employees).
• Be aware of industry best practices. Establish a peer group outside of your company's industry or sector. Don't hesitate to steal good ideas.
• Show a downward trend on costs. Consolidate tactics. Eliminate everything that may be perceived as non-essential.
• Adopt a total teamwork approach. Work outside the communications box. Lay trap lines to other parts of the business. Ask them, "How can I help you change stakeholder behaviors so that we make more money?" Remember that the talent of the team transcends the talents of the team members. Ray Kroc, McDonald's founder said it best: "None of us are as strong as all of us."
• Put a premium on sharing information. Make sure your team knows your strategic plan. Inform and involve your boss. Make sure your bosses' boss knows.
• Hone your emotional intelligence (EI). EI competencies are proven to be three to nine times more important than cognitive competencies, technical and functional expertise or experience in predicting success. Leaders who use EI are more likely to improve productivity, innovation and efficiency in their organizations.
• Take risks, but be strategically informed. Go back to the basics. Ask your team, "Why do we do things this way?" Then ask senior management, "What do you want from me?" Be prepared to start over.
• Remember that competency is not good enough. Be brilliant. And be FAST!