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Top tips for post-merger integration

In the last seven years, we’ve supported 11 FE and sixth-form college mergers. Here are our top tips for ensuring a successful integration post-merger. 

1. Make a post-merger integration plan

  • Ensure your plan is thorough and robust

    • Take time to ensure you have captured everything that will need to be integrated
    • Identify which staff will need to be involved
    • Outline any key risks and mitigation measures

 

  • Work with key staff

    • Develop your plan with the staff who will manage and have to deliver it
    • Consider having a dedicated integration champion/team to maintain the integration momentum

2. Creating the new organisation

 

  • Lead

    • What you do and don’t do, what you pay attention to and what you ignore, will all be noticed and will begin to shape the culture
    • Be honest, sincere and authentic, and sell your vision personally and often
    • Do not rush the process
    • Share and model the proposed vision and high-level ideas with staff
    • Communicate, consult and repeat!

 

  • Remember, this is a new organisation 

    • It will be different from what went before
    • Change can either occur organically or be managed, but it will happen 

 

  • Collaborate

    • Use the strengths of all partners to create a new shared vision, values and behaviours. There will be strengths and great people even in colleges which are facing challenging circumstances

3. It’s all about the people

 

  • Invest in people

    • Staff will take the organisation forward, so invest in their development

  • Be open and honest

    • Provide genuine, honest and open staff engagement at all levels
    • Ensure that staff questions are answered in a clear, transparent and timely way

  • Prioritise staff structures

    • Ensure the desired leadership and staffing structures are in place as soon as possible

  • Provide enough resource

    • Do not underestimate the amount of resource needed during the integration stage
    • Use external expertise when it is needed but don't get consultants to think for you! They are there to help YOU deliver

4. Integrating systems

 

  • Choosing the right systems

    • Take time to choose the key systems for the new organisation
    • Focus on organisational effectiveness - which systems will help you to achieve your goals? 
    • Involve staff who use these tools 
    • Test, test, test!


  • Plan the integration

    • Walk through the integration to identify any potential barriers
    • Work with key staff to remove the barriers and plan for a smooth and fast integration

5. Be patient

It will take at least three years of time, energy and effort to begin to develop and begin to embed a new culture and create a single organisation.

Need some help?

With a proven track record, you can trust Rockborn to deliver a successful and effective post-merger integration for your organisation.

Get in touch to discuss your requirements.

Contact us