##6 Ways Ethics Can Help Your Budding Merger
So, you’re merging with another company. You’re getting ready for the blending of the 2 businesses, ready to take the best of both and make it one better unit, best of both worlds as they say.
The question to ask then is not what can the merger do for you but what can you do for the merger.
How an organization prepares for the merger can set the ethical tone of the merger and the corporate culture post- merger. Ethical considerations from the beginning of the merger can make the transition less jarring on both executives and employees.
The ethical foundation you create will assist in the coordination efforts. You can build an ethical culture foundation through the alignment of various aspects of ethics including expectations, communication and accountability of both sides.
One solution is to set up a special Team to deal specifically with the merger. This team ensures that your ethics and culture are present in your new entity.
Here are some helpful tips:
1) An Ethical Commitment to ensuring a comfortable and streamlined merger, we can do this fast and hard; or moderately and considerately. Leadership must demonstrate flexibility and confidence in the path while fielding questions.
2) Harmonized leadership and management styles, transition is easier when the message is consistent. The leadership spectrum is wide and colourful. Emotional intelligence in leadership increases positive results during integration.
3) Cultural Competency, not everyone likes oatmeal cookies or company retreats. Diversity in communication, education and collaboration are key components in your merger.
4) Degree of Transparency, it’s about the need to know. Panic and fear can be alleviated with frequent and thoughtful communication. People will follow you more willingly if they know you have their back.
5) Shared decision making models, this ensures oversight for criteria and improves trust. We want to know that our interests are considered by the person making the decisions.
6) Unified policy and guideline development, the phase during which you merge policies and guidelines can greatly influence the comfort of your transition. Policy consistency reduces disruption. Conflict resolution has never been so important, right?
Ethics are the foundation of culture. Culture is the measure of organizational health. To streamline the cultural atmosphere during a merger, you just have to take the ethical position to get on the same page before you can begin to write on the future of your new, stronger organization.
Infusing ethics into your merger is a much simpler affair than you imagine and can make the merger comfortable for everyone in both organizations.