Thank you for this question Rebecca - so many times we get caught up in wooing and acclimating the NewCo that sometimes CurrentCo could get forgotten in the process.
Transparency builds trust, so as soon as you can share bits of information to CurrentCo about NewCo the better, and not just in Town Halls or high-level meetings many impacted employees aren't part of. Assign a trusted liaison to help keep CurrentCo in the loop all along the way. Explain the ever important 'why' for acquiring NewCo - and the WIIFM (what's in it for me) - so CurrentCo can be part of the journey as opposed to having it thrust on them.
I'm sure there's more than can or should be done, anxious for other to chime in with tips or tricks as well!
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Dawn Feltner
Program and Change Manager
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Original Message:
Sent: 2023-09-12 14:05
From: Rebecca Mox-Persak
Subject: M&A Communications! Who is your audience?
You've done the hard work getting through diligence, have toasted at close, and now you need to communicate! Beyond a corporate press release and a posting on your company intranet site, what, when and how are you communicating to your current employee? They will likely have just as many questions as the newly acquired employees about what this means to them. Their business is growing, and they'll also be impacted by upcoming changes. How do you keep this stakeholder group informed while so much of your focus is already on all of your new employees?
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Becky Persak
Aon
Head of M&A - Leadership, Culture & Change
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