Strategic Planning "When the Heat is On" -- The Merger's Aftermath

Note: Key identity descriptors have been changed to protect client confidentiality.

Facilitated and coached a post-merger Business Unit Manager (the pre-merger CEO) in:

• Pulling together his warring leadership team

• Creating a strategic plan for recovering profitability

• Forming a scorecard that would get the organization out of its post-merger “free fall.”

My client’s organization had just been acquired by a large multi-national.  His executive team mistrusted the parent organization, held grudges against each other, and considered these issues “undiscussable.” My client wanted Strategic Planning to “hold people’s feet to the fire.”  His team wanted Strategic Planning to “fix” my client and defend their turfs. They felt micro-managed and attacked.  They all expected that it would be difficult-to-impossible to work through their differences.   

Facilitated an off-site conflict resolution and strategic planning retreat.  At the retreat, Executive Team Members resolved their “undiscussables” and reached agreement on how to regain profitability.  Followed up with executive coaching so that my client would learn how to establish straight talk, test execution without micro-managing, and resolve conflicts between warring factions.  My client said he was relieved to see his leadership team “step up to the plate” and strategize about their competition, not each other.