Leadership Development

Utilizing the best of both companies and learning from each other poses a special challenge to the top leaders. Synergies result from:

• establishing personal and professional relationships where trust is the bond;
• learning key management skills to achieve M&A success;
• defining the organizational strengths and weaknesses;
• appreciating others and the richness in their differences:
• developing new norms, values and behaviors together;
• working together and creating plans that have ownership and commitment.

LIM knows that key business priorities must be addressed immediately and so works with change leaders to develop the leadership skills required by the new corporation while solving strategic business issues to make the M&A work. This is the 'Earning while Learning' process.

Transition Coaching

Throughout the M&A process teams change leaders. There is a 'frozen period' before the new leader begins when team members withhold information and commitment until they 'know' the expectations, values and style of the new leader. Productivity of even the best performing teams declines dramatically.

LIM's Transition Coaching Program addresses this situation by:

• identifying and solving the critical business issues;
• helping the new leader and his/her new team build an effective relationship;
• promoting a quick transfer of knowledge and information to the new leader;
• establishing operational norms and contracting roles and responsibilities.

The transition phase is shortened to a minimum so the team can quickly regain its former level of productivity and a solid relationship with its new leader.

Team Development

Throughout the M&A process new teams are created with members of the 'other' company. The full complexity of the M&A becomes evident in each team: differences in the 'right ways to do things'; differing assumptions; 'us' vs. 'them'; minority vs. majority. Team members confront the 'cultural' differences of the two organizations. Teams are microcosms of the new company, and as a consequence, shaping a successful M&A is a team by team process.

LIM's Team Development Program helps teams develop new skills and reach alignment around objectives, norms, behaviors, processes and leadership while using the advantages their differences provide to work on vital business issues.

Executive Coaching

Behaviors are not changed by a simple decision, a workshop or a motivational speech. The change process is slow, requiring action, refection, learning, feedback, planning, experimentation, then more action. Successful change is a cyclical process that becomes more and more comfortable as individuals, repeating new behaviors regularly, internalize them and are rewarded for them.

LIM provides confidential support through Executive Coaching to the change leaders who can work through this process with the support of an external LIM Learning Coach.

Developing Internal Change Agents

The speed in which the new organizations can reach expected performance levels is vital for reaching and sustaining competitive advantage. But in order to reach the necessary speed and quality the M&A process has to address simultaneously all aspects of creating the 'new' organization. Traditionally, change processes tend to begin at the top and cascade down. This is a far too expensive and time consuming strategy in today's market.

LIM works with key leaders and teams from all areas and levels of the new organization, in a variety of Coach Development Programs to develop internal change agents who support the entire M&A process. LIM provides direct support to the HR leadership in formulating and implementing an integrated human resource function that can work as business partners to line management. A proactive, business-driven HR function is key to sustained M&A success.

Crisis Management Workshops

One of the most common and prevalent dangers of the M&A process is the mushrooming of business and communications problems that damage productivity morale and profitability. Such crises grow in the M&A environment because the terrain is new and unfamiliar and because both the organization and its people are under stress.

LIM's Crisis Management Workshops are designed to quickly address such problems by bringing together key individuals who need to be aligned to solve the problem. With the support of a coach they quickly reach a solution and learn transferable team skills in the process

Leadership, Management & Culture Due Diligence

Legal, financial and technological Due Diligence is not enough to asses the feasibility of the merger. LIM will conduct a Due Diligence on the leadership, management and organizational culture to determine strengths and weaknesses of the human dimension of the merger. This early information is critical both for the decision and the strategy to maximize the potential of the deal.

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