Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 23, 1995 TAG: 9507210002
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RONALD E. YATES CHICAGO TRIBUNE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
But what happens if you are one of the obedient but vulnerable pack who toils in the less rarefied air of the company? Is your job safe? How should you behave? How do you survive?
Those are the questions facing scores - perhaps hundreds - of employees at Lotus Development Corp. and A.T. Kearney in the wake of their recent acquisitions. And they are questions that thousands of others will no doubt face as merger and acquisition activity continues.
The answer is there are no guarantees in the angst-ridden world of mergers and acquisitions. In most cases at least 10 percent and in some cases as many as one-half of an acquired company's employees may find themselves pounding the pavement in search of new employment, according to Labor Department statistics.
But there are things you can do to increase your odds of survival, says Walter Polsky, chairman and chief executive of Chicago-based Cambridge Human Resource Group Inc., an outplacement consulting company specializing in ``survivor training'' after a merger or acquisition.
The first thing you should do, says Polsky, is become a ``yes person.'' Contrary to common belief, ``yes persons'' are not relics of past corporate cultures. They are survivors.
That doesn't mean you have to be a suck-up, says Polsky, just someone who exhibits a sincere willingness to cooperate with the new management.
``You need to become a company person and you need to do it very quickly,'' said Polsky, who works with companies as they attempt to coalesce after a merger or acquisition.
``The acquiring company will be looking for people who have a positive mental attitude about the merger,'' Polsky added. ``It will be looking for people who project the strongest possible team-worker attitudes and who have a demeanor that says: `What can I do to support a smooth transition and support the direction that the merged company is now going to be taking.'''
One thing you shouldn't do, says Polsky, is to continue to be what you have always been and do what you have always done. That may seem like the safe thing to do, but it sends the wrong signal to new management.
``The safest way is probably the fastest way out of a job,'' said Polsky. ``Instead, take a leadership position, no matter what your level is. Attend all functions and meetings. Rally your co-workers and get them behind the merger. Help them see the positive side.''
This isn't always easy, concedes Polsky. Longtime colleagues who opposed the merger or acquisition may resent you for your support of it.
``But you have to be willing to stand up to your peers - and even to your superiors,'' said Polsky. ``You have to be vocally supportive of the merger even in the face of resistance, because it is those who resist and who are negative about the merger who will not be around long.''
Naturally, if you are deeply opposed to the merger or acquisition on moral or political grounds, then the only thing you can do is leave. Because there is a good chance you won't survive anyway, adds Polsky.
``If you look at the two most recent acquisitions - IBM's acquisition of Lotus and EDS' acquisition of A.T. Kearney - the issue facing management at IBM and EDS is where can they maximize value by taking over or combining some of the administrative tasks,'' Polsky said.
Those individuals in both companies who are not adding value - particularly to external customers - are at the greatest risk, Polsky said.
So are those senior staffers who have two or three decades of service - especially if their technical skills are not up to date.
``If a person is leaning toward obsolescence, if they are not computer literate or not up on all the latest technology, they are vulnerable,'' Polsky said. ``For example, if you work for a pharmaceutical firm, being knowledgeable about the latest techniques of chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing enhances your value to the new management.''
Another tactic for survival is to pool the collective resources of your department or unit to demonstrate how it and your colleagues add value to the new organization.
``Doing this collectively rather than individually is good,'' said Polsky. ``It not only shows a team orientation, but by demonstrating departmental solidarity it might increase your potential to survive.''
However, one mistake you can make is to assume the acquiring company wants to integrate your procedures with its own.
If you sound like you're wedded to the ways of the company that effectively no longer exists, how good an employee will you be of the new company? Polsky asked.
You also should never assume your boss will tell the new owners or management about your past record and accomplishments. Most bosses don't know what individuals - especially those a few levels below them - have done for the company.
``You should prepare a summary of your accomplishments for the new company,'' said Polsky. ``Then meet with your boss to review your accomplishments so that he or she is prepared to sell you to new management.''
by CNB