8 Tips for a Successful Consolidation Process

Fire Chief David Sparling of the Fire Department or North Huron brings a unique perspective to his job. As a long-time owner of a company that has been recognized twice as one of the 50 best small and medium employers to work for in Canada, he has applied his business acumen successfully to enhance his department’s effectiveness in serving the community.

One of Chief Sparling’s areas of expertise is increasing the efficiency of organizations that have been joined through amalgamation. As an executive, he frequently acquired other businesses and merged them with his own. Over the years, his company grew to become one of the largest propane retailers in Canada, and one of the 25 largest in North America.

This business expertise came in handy when Chief Sparling was named fire chief of a newly amalgamated fire department. The Fire Department of North Huron was the result of the merger of two departments that, between them, had been owned by five different municipalities. As operations became unwieldy and inefficient, merger was the logical yet controversial solution. Despite serious resistance from both community members and firefighters, the department weathered the transition successfully.

Chief Sparling relied heavily on his business experience to effect a successful merger. He offers eight time-tested suggestions for those facing consolidation situations:

1. Take care of your people. If they trust that you have their best interests at heart, they will appreciate what you are doing even if they don’t fully agree with it.
2. Paint a clear picture for the short-, medium-, and long-term. Once the picture is painted, it’s okay to go back and add some color.
3. Create a clear “play to win” message – i.e., this change is for real, we’re not playing around. Use a variety of media to communicate that message widely and consistently.
4. Tell it like it is – i.e., be honest and open about what you can and cannot do. Do not avoid or sugarcoat information that people may not want to hear.
5. Listen carefully to your stakeholders. While you need not agree with or do everything they ask, look for the “gems” of information. If everyone is saying something is a bad idea, take another look at it.
6. Pick good employees. Use a neutral, bona fide selection process. If the leadership team has poor skills, the organization cannot succeed.
7. Don’t be afraid to terminate those who are weak. They can undermine the entire organization.
8. Do not promise savings in the first year of a merger. Generally you must spend more initially to make changes, get people on the same page, and generate some short-term wins. Stakeholders must understand that savings begin 2.5-3 years into the process.

As with any change effort, consolidation takes time: it is a process, not an event. By treating your merger or consolidation as a process that includes best practices such as those above, you can increase the likelihood that your consolidation efforts will be successful.

To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com.

Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.

Click here to Join Our Mailing List!

© 2014 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved.

Lessons in Inclusion from Special Olympics Athletes

The world is full of differences; its diversity is what makes life rich and vibrant. Yet too often that diversity results in discord and strife instead of celebrations of our individual and collective talents. Special Olympics, the world’s largest sports organization, changes the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through year-round sports training and competitions. Many Special Olympics athletes have mild to severe physical as well as intellectual disabilities. Their oath states, “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

If you ever have attended a Special Olympics competition, you know the focus is not on winning. Although many of the athletes do want to win, their true reward comes from being accepted for who they are and for celebrating what they CAN do. It doesn’t matter how well they do; what counts is that they are brave enough to put forth their best effort. In so doing, they inspire those who witness their joy in testing themselves.

At last weekend’s 2014 Special Olympics Southern California Summer Games Invitational, I was particularly awe-struck by one young gymnast. Though wheelchair-bound, she competed in the balance beam and the floor dance events. Although she cannot stand and has limited movement in both arms and legs, she found ways to work around those constraints. A whole gym full of people cheered her on, inspired by her bravery and the huge smile on her face. Athletes who forgot their routines, or dropped their equipment, or fell off equipment didn’t let those hiccups faze them. They remained true to their promise to “be brave in the attempt.” No matter where they fall on the ability spectrum, the efforts of Special Olympics athletes are celebrated and supported without reservation. Their joy comes from the freedom to be accepted unconditionally for who they are and from being part of something bigger than themselves.

Here are ten life lessons that Special Olympics athletes can teach us about being inclusive and accepting of others:

1. Have the courage to be yourself. Allow others to be themselves as well.
2. It doesn’t matter whether you “win;”what counts is having the courage to use the talent you’ve been given.
3. Perfection is not the goal. It is enough to do your very best.
4. Look for reasons to support others. Cheer them on – loudly.
5. Encourage people to test their limits. Rather than tell them they can’t do something, help them to find a way around obstacles.
6. Be delighted with your efforts. Share your joy.
7. “Small” victories often are huge. Celebrate all accomplishments.
8. The effects of the talent unleashed by creating an environment of inclusiveness and acceptance are inspiring and contagious. The world is better off as a result.
9. The joy is in the journey. Invite others along for the ride.
10. It only takes a few minutes to celebrate another person.

Are you brave enough to embrace those who seem different than you? Could your work environment be more inclusive and accepting? If so, try some of the above tips. You might just find yourself inspired by the results.

To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com.

Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.

Click here to Join Our Mailing List!

© 2014 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved.