cameron and green making-sense-of-change-management

The applicationsUSE A CLEAR PHASED PROCESSIt’s easy to get sucked into mindless list generation. There is an extraordinaryamount of stuff to be done when you merge with another company. Thetrouble is that list making is very tiring, and the lists have to be numbered andmonitored, which takes time and effort. We found that it was much simpler todevelop a phased process than to list everything that needed to be done. Wethen created a timeline with obvious milestones such as ‘structure chart delivered’,or ‘terms and conditions harmonized’. This helps people to keep ontrack without creating a circus of action planning and reporting.Organization development manager talking about the mergerof two management consultanciesThe National Audit Office recommends specialist programme managementhelp to ensure continued business as usual, and to tackle HR,finance and particularly pensions issues.APPLYING THE CHANGE THEORY:GUIDELINES FOR LEADERSWhich elements of the theory discussed in earlier chapters can be used toinform those leading merger and acquisition activity? We make links withideas about individual, team and organizational change to help leaders tochannel their activities throughout this turbulent process. In addition, werefer to the previously mentioned research into successful mergers andacquisitions by Roffey Park Institute (Devine, 1999) which offers someuseful guidelines for organizational leaders.Managing the individualsMergers and acquisitions bring uncertainty, and uncertainty in turn bringsanxiety. The question on every person’s mind is, ‘What happens to me inthis?’ Once this question is answered satisfactorily, each individual can thenbegin to address the important challenges ahead. Until that time, there willbe anxiety. Some people will be more anxious than others depending on242