Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Raising Morale: Reading

Transitions

The Motivational Mindset

  1. Mergers and acquisitions are major transitions. In the event of either change, you can set the tone as to how the news is received. Make it a positive one.
  2. If your company is acquired by one that it has publicly criticized, don’t pretend there was never any bad blood. You’re not fooling anyone. Talk about where you are now, what has changed, and what makes you believe this union will bring specific improvements.
  3. Avoid surprises. Share information. Missing and faulty information fuel the rumor mill.
  4. Don’t just toss out facts for general consumption. Think about who is receiving the information. What is important for employees to know? What information is threatening to them? Hold meetings; answer what questions you can.
  5. Stay positive, but don’t sugarcoat reality.
  6. Plan your message; don’t improvise.
  7. Deliver the news and move on, but be prepared to revisit the topic as delayed reactions occur and additional questions arise.
  8. When someone leaves the company for positive reasons, celebrate in a way that lets people say good-bye. Most employees form strong bonds at work. A coworker or colleague leaving constitutes a major change.
  9. New initiatives, a new name, and a new logo may breathe fresh air into the atmosphere, but if management does not follow through, the air quickly gets stale and people feel let down. Future initiatives will seem meaningless and are unlikely to find buy-in among people who have come to see them as the “flavor of the month.”
  10. If you start something new, be fully committed to it. If it’s not working, fix it. Drop it if you have to, but don’t let it fade away. Acknowledge what came out of it and explain why you’re dropping it. Then move on.