Many firms are either under discussions or in the whole process of undergoing a merger and acquisition (M&A) or joint venture transactions right during this second. Sad to say, the chances are piled against the a couple of firms being merged.
Yet, disappointments due to failure in meeting the management’s strategic and financial expectations by all accounts continue to turn out, and people ask why. In the past few years, corporations of all sizes have steadily enhanced their approach to planning these acquisitions. Scores of books, articles, conferences and seminars are aplenty, and all these provide enough guidance and best practices to make mergers work; theoretically, the more recent alliances should have learned from these sources. Likewise, many leading conglomerates even shared much of their findings and experiences with the global business community because they claim to have systematized the planning and implementation of post-merger integration (PMI) and have thoroughly documented the actual process as well.
In spite of everything, large-scale mishaps abound in spite of the expected rising base of verified and time-tested auspices concerning the Do’s and DON’Ts of merger and acquisition planning. Once again, how come mergers still fail to boost the shareholder worth? It is simply since the PMI procedure frequently is short of critical assistance from the direction by CEOs and the senior executives.
Many corporate executives simply fail to realize what is required of them from a standpoint of M&A and merger integration leadership. Thus, it can be said that weak headship is the primary contributor to unsuccessful corporate alliances.
There are five major critical success factors that C-level execs must accomplish to show their companies the way to M&A success. First is to rapidly institute the ensuing company’s vision, mission, culture and values. Secondly, leaders should foster and ensure the correct sharing and dissemination of information. Third, they should be the consummate communicator. Fourth, they ought to lead the other leaders. And lastly, the leaders should proactively forge and personally uphold the culture.
To wrap this up, the colossal challenges of M&A are well known and well-documented. The specific rules, responsibilities and skills of the corporate leader should be documented and the managers should manifest these behaviors. It is quite obvious that every corporate combination is different, so each one poses unique leadership challenges. The aforementioned five leadership roles in the merger are the ones most central to achieving success in M&A.
At certain points in time, the integration milieu is characterized by turbulence. To steer clear from choppy waters and reach its strategic destination, it is the role of the senior executives to be the leadership beacons.
Several companies are either under negotiations or in the process of going through a merger and acquisition (M&A) and joint venture transactions right at this very moment. Sad to say, the odds are stacked against the two or more companies being merged.