In our blog, the key detractors for successful mergers and acquisitions , we cover the key things that can go wrong with a post-merger and acquisition integration and provide mitigation strategies. But where do we start, and how do we keep the process as simple and manageable as possible?

In our experience, the best place to start is with a model to build from and some underlying principles. There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Our preferred approach is to take a well-established change management (CM) model. Many derive from the eight-step John Kotter and ADKAR models. The benefits of such models are discussed at length in chapter five Coaching for Cultural Transformation: Staying Competitive in Changing Environments.  Although these models were primarily developed for internal CM programmes, they have a strong connection and resonance with mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

However, we prefer the six-step model developed by John Cockburn-Evans (shown in the figure below) because of its visual impact and simplicity.

The six steps in this model are:

1. Awareness and recognition
2. Getting buy-in
3. Determining the team and generating engagement (leaders and change agents )
4. Planning and staffing
5. Execution and implementation
6. Validating, reinforcing and sustaining

It should be relatively easy to see how this model connects to and overlaps with the critical elements described in Section 1.0 specifically highlighted for successful M&A integration.

We can take the six steps in this model and modify them to suit the specific business context and situation. We can easily add subsections to each stage and build out the detail as necessary. Additional detail will always be required, but starting with a simple, understandable model should help avoid complication.

If we look at the history of failure based on our own collective experience, it is similar to a barbel. At one end, far too much detail leads to confusion and procrastination or not enough thought, or detail leads to gaps and missed opportunities. The trick is to find the sweet spot between the two ends of the spectrum and stay agile.
If you’d like to know more on how to ensure a successful M&A integration, please reach out via enq@teamcoachingboutique.com