4 PRINCIPLES
I’ll admit, we’re just like other investors – we get excited about closing a new deal, and we can be guilty of taking a breath and letting our guard down once diligence wraps up.
But we also recognize the urgency and importance that the post-close window represents. It just might be one of the most important opportunities there is to create clarity and momentum for the organization and its people. That’s why we created a change management process, grounded in the power of storytelling, to help us make the most of what we learn during diligence, focus the team on what matters most, and help the company avoid getting bogged down in the confusion and misalignment that, too often, is a fact of life when two organizations become one.
Our approach is based on four principles – four disciplines that we ask our management teams to consider and operationalize as they wrap up the diligence process and set to work on running the business as a new chapter begins.
Embrace Your Second Job - Commit to becoming a “Chief Reminding Officer” and make the most of your informal communication opportunities.
Create a Clear Story - Repackage your diligence findings into a single, cohesive narrative that the entire ELT contributes to.
Don’t Do It Alone - Create a group of handpicked, formally enrolled sponsors who reinforce the story and help the senior team surface potential risks.
Focus On A Big Idea Create a change management plan built around a monthly “big idea” - the most important thing to get right during each month of the plan.