Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are common in many industries, including tech, financial services and healthcare. Following are some communication tips for making sure your combined brand is positioned positively before, during and after the M&A:
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Time and time again, businesses and organizations make decisions without publicly providing the rationale, and that usually riles up their audiences (e.g. stakeholders, customers, shareholders, etc.). This is one reason why transparency is important.
Now let’s look at the upcoming Olympics in Rio.
Seven years ago, the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted for Rio to host the 2016 Olympic Games over Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. I was not alone in being stunned by the decision. Sure, South America has never played host to an Olympics, but the other cities were better suited for such a monumental task.
In the first round of voting, Madrid was first with 28 votes, and Chicago was last with 18 votes. I’ve read speculation that Chicago didn’t get many first-round votes because everyone assumed the city would win, and voters were trying to help the other cities save face.
Now that fateful day could have some major repercussions.
Forget the Zika virus. Rio’s major obstacle to a successful Olympic Games is Rio itself. A recent New York Times op-ed paints a picture of how far behind construction is, the crime near the Olympic arenas, the lack of leadership and the budget shortfall. How worried are you if you are an Olympic athlete or a fan that plans on attending?
To this day, IOC members have not revealed why they voted the way they did. Being transparent removes foul play and corruption from the equation. When you explain how you came to a decision, however difficult, you’ll at least achieve informed consent.
In a time when we’ve seen leaders from FIFA get charged with corruption, transparency in sports–and all industries–is more important than ever.
Capacity building, a process of individual and institutional development that leads to higher levels of staff skills and a greater ability to perform useful research, is a trend many hospitals and healthcare providers are adopting. At its core, capacity building is about improving effectiveness at the organizational level. This ranges from dealing with crises (e.g. Zika, Ebola) to identifying ways to promote social services.
For communities, the outcomes of a healthcare provider’s capacity building should include more involvement in problem solving, increased access to resources and a sense of how to best co-exist.
Community members often will become healthier, showing signs of optimism and trust and a focus on unification. Rather than saying “nothing works,” healthy communities embrace a “we can do it” attitude.
To start a capacity building program, you must start with internal buy-in from top-down. Make sure you include internal audiences in the process, speak in a language they’ll understand and engage them as early as possible. Also, be explicit about the benefits of the program, identify and manage risks and listen to any concerns.
Next, make sure you have the resources and readiness to sustain a campaign for an indefinite amount of time. Consider applying for a capacity building grant; projects that may be eligible for grants include strategic planning, board development and staff training.
Lastly, seek out external stakeholders, such as community leaders, educators and vendors. Invite these stakeholders to a few capacity-building events, including visits to project sites. Stay in communication with them through social media and e-newsletters.