[Shiyun]

What are some effective strategies and best practices for managing cultural integration after a merger, especially in regards to aligning values and behaviors?

[Kristina K]

You could think about a cultural assessment – it would depend on the size of the two companies merging on what levels you want to conduct such an assessment and how much time it would take. After the assessment, use a focus group to define the ultimate culture you want to have at the end, and then work with a group specialized in change management, cultural awareness and communication on how the roll-out of the results could look like. I strongly believe consistent and transparent communication is key in case it means the culture is shifting at one of the two companies.
Another best practice could be developing a shared vision and shared core values, especially to highlight the already existing overlap – always good to stress the commonalities.

[Lexi Kakar]

This task can be extremely challenging given that leadership’s plans sometimes do not incorporate cultural differences into them. This makes things challenging for those tasked with integration. I look at things always with the view that one is not better than another – the goal is a diverse, cultural mixture. It is meant to be a joint process. Being transparent and talking through differences helps.

[Maria Lewis]

An approach to consider is conducting employee surveys, focus groups, and interviews with both leadership and key stakeholders to understand the cultural nuances of both organizations. The insights gained can be instrumental in helping you tailor the integration plan and identify potential areas of friction early on. Once a baseline has been established, pulse surveys can then help monitor employee sentiment and gather feedback on how the cultural integration is progressing.

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