Involving people from both sides, (who represent various departments, backgrounds, and levels), in the process of defining new values (or understanding legacy values), helps to build future understanding and acceptance of any new culture components. Furthermore, showing how these inputs were used in the creation of the end result builds a sense of co-ownership and, hopefully, alignment with the new set of values. After that, communicate, communicate, communicate… …if people do not have a clear understanding of what your key values, behaviours, and ways of working are (and are not!), alignment with what you see in practice will be difficult.

El conocimiento de las dos culturas pre existentes y la definición de la nueva cultura (y sus valores) es esencial. Si realmente es una fusión (porque a veces le llaman fusión a una absorción, y ahí la estretegia es otra), lo ideal es que se midan ambas culturas previamente y luego se analice la brecha con la cultura deseada. Hay encuestas específicas para medir la cultura. La brecha entre las culturas previas y la cultura deseada indica el camino y el plan de acción a seguir. Los valores deben ser bajados a conductas específicas, para poder monitorear y establecer planes de acción para achicar la brecha identificada.

To ensure employee behaviors align with new values post-merger, start by clearly defining these values through a collaborative process. Engage representatives from both legacy organizations to identify and agree upon core principles that resonate universally. This inclusive approach fosters ownership and commitment to the new values. Once established, communicate these values consistently and effectively across the organization using diverse platforms and media. Reinforce them through training, policies, and everyday practices to embed them into the organizational culture, ensuring a unified and cohesive understanding and adoption by all employees.

Leaders are essential in establishing and nurturing the new organizational culture post-merger. By consistently embodying the newly defined values in their daily actions, leaders set a tangible example for their teams to follow. This modeling makes the desired behaviors both visible and attainable, fostering an environment where these values are embraced. Additionally, recognizing and rewarding employees who demonstrate these behaviors further reinforces the desired culture. Such recognition not only motivates individuals but also signals to the entire organization the importance and benefits of aligning with the new values.

Training is critical for embedding new values within the organization post-merger. To ensure employees understand and can implement these values, develop tailored training programs that address the unique needs of different departments or teams. These programs should provide practical, actionable strategies for incorporating the values into daily operations. By offering specific, relevant training, you can mitigate confusion and resistance, facilitating a smoother transition to the new culture. This proactive approach empowers employees with the knowledge and skills needed to embody the new values, promoting a cohesive and aligned organizational environment.

Successful cultural integration demands a flexible approach. Recognize that uniform strategies may not resonate with every part of the organization. Stay open to modifying your plans based on continuous feedback and the changing internal environment. This adaptability ensures that each group within the company can genuinely and sustainably adopt the new values. By being responsive to the unique needs and dynamics of different teams, you promote a more cohesive and effective cultural transformation.

When businesses merge, there's often a real sense of loss for whichever business is not the 'dominant' culture. If its a genuine merger and both cultures are equally taken into account, then creating new Values that contain some of the original DNA of both businesses, and also have the addition of new elements that create a shared vision for the future is the way forward. Most important, though, is the active involvement of both businesses in creating them - not just at the Leadership level - Values created by the people for the people :)