TELLING THE STORY AGAIN … AND AGAIN
Once the consolidation is official, the need for further communication is over,
right? Wrong.
The proposed union may have been ratified, but the success
of that union is far from guaranteed. In fact, the crucial
blending of systems and culture is still ahead. Much must
be accomplished to secure the benefits of this union for
members and employees.
Failure of new accounting systems or resignation of key
employees can move emotional meters from positive to
negative. More talent and sales may be lost if you do not
continue to talk about the progress, the challenges and the
reasons for the merger.
Remind them why it happened
Issue regular progress reports after the vote and the effective
date of the union. In these reports, highlight the headway you
are making at unifying both systems and cultures.
When a glitch occurs—and it will—apologize to both
members and employees. Thank them for their patience, and
spell out the steps being taken to correct the problem.
Frequently remind stakeholders why the board of directors
backed the consolidation. This reminder should include
benefits to customers, members and employees—which may
not materialize for several months or years.
Earlier, I referred to a manager who made his members
“partners” to any major change happening within the
company.
“Before we start, I tell them what we’re going to do and why
we are going to do it,” he stated. “After we start, I tell them
what we’re doing and remind them of why we’re doing it.”
This manager, who taught me much about good
communication, offered one more piece of advice. “After it’s
over,” he said, “I tell the members what we did and I remind
them again why we did what we did.”
Even after the vote is taken and all the official papers are
signed, keep telling your customers and employees why
you did what you did. Don’t assume they remember. This
persistence in communication will give you the “honeymoon”
you need to get your unified organization on an even keel and
growing into the future.
VistaComm helped guide us through the merger process—from our first announcement to
members and employees, to a brand new logo and newsletter. They made the process easy and
collaborative, while remaining sensitive to our objectives every step of the way.
JOHN PRUSS | General Manager
United Farmers Cooperative | Afton, IA
VISTACOMM.COM
ISSUE 2 2017 AGRI-INSIGHTS
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