View from the Trenches: Managing Communication Channels

"Real Life" Success Stories, Best Practices & Case Studies

I have shared this best practice during previous Art of M&A Integration workshops, but I believe it bears repeating, especially in today’s world of internet and social media.

The normal reaction of employees, especially on the acquiring side, on Date of Announcement, when they first hear that their company is being acquired is to immediately go to their computer and “Google” the company’s name. This large government contractor prepared well in advance for this. When the individual Googled their company, a message came up on the home page: “Welcome Employees of XX Company, click here.”  Upon clicking on the link, a video played showing the CEO of the acquiring company walking across a stage and addressing the audience. He then proceeded to introduce himself, provide a brief overview of the company, talk about their vision and values, and share with them some of the key “me” questions that the employee would logically have. It immediately set a positive note and allowed the company to shape the messaging rather than having others do it.

The key point is to take a proactive role in identifying and managing the communications channels and that includes the web and social media.

Jack Prouty, President of the M&A Leadership Council