Communicate Effectively During a Merger
12 Effective Merger Communication Tips
Merger Communication - How the SnapComms Tools Can Help:
Tip 1 – Choose Internal Messaging Systems that can Operate Across more than one Network
Internal Screensaver Communication
As long as employees have internet access, your IT team can quickly and easily install a unique software ‘applet’ on every employee's computer. This applet identifies that those staff belong to a single ‘organization’ even though they work on different networks. As a result, you can treat all the staff in the merged organization as a single internal audience and use the SnapComms tools to send them secure internal merger communications.
Target Screensaver Messages
You can target all the SnapComms messaging formats to specific employees or groups. There are several ways to do this. You can use existing Active Directory network structures, machine based targeting, set up targeting automatically based on users’ requests (see the user registration alert above) and/or set up targeting manually.
Face-to-face communication is a critical part of effective merger communication. It is particularly important to get senior leaders in front of staff to explain decisions, answer questions and manage concerns. Often you will need to run many face-to-face sessions in many different places. The SnapComms RSVP Alert tool helps make this process easier. It lets you send a desktop invitation to targeted employees with a range of meeting options (e.g. dates, times, venues) and even ask people what questions and issues they want covered. When staff choose their option, the appointment can be added to their Outlook calendar. Reporting from the SnapComms platform lets you see who is attending which sessions, as well as the answers to any additional questions asked.
Internal Newsletter tool
SnapMag is a unique staff magazine that lets users generate their own content. Anyone with the client applet, wherever they are, can submit articles and comments into the appropriate category of the magazine for central editorial approval. This lets staff start thinking, acting and working as one organization. It also lets members of both organizations collaborate and quickly pull together a branded staff magazine for the new organization.
Internal Branding on Screensavers
You can brand all the SnapComms channels (Magazine, Newsfeeds, Desktop Alerts, Quizzes and Surveys) visually to reflect your company’s new ‘look and feel’ (even if it is only a transitional brand).
Communicate vision and values visuallyThe SnapComms corporate screensaver lets you communicate visually in a way that gets messages across and avoids their becoming buried in existing (and probably overloaded) communications channels.
“For many, understanding of the world is accomplished not through reading words, but by reading images."
Dr. Paul Martin Lester, Professor of Communications, California State University
Desktop Surveys to Temperature Check
The pop-up Desktop Survey tool is a great way to gather fast feedback and keep lines of communication open during a merger. You can set the tool to prompt users who fail to reply. This will help make sure replies represent as many people as possible (i.e. you hear from more than just your organization’s ‘squeaky wheels’).
The out-of-the-box Internal Social Media channels can also provide somewhere for employees to ask questions, provide feedback and voice their concerns.
Tip 12 – Track attitudes and measure your impact
The SnapComms tools and reporting offer a range of ways to pulse check, track attitudes and measure the impact of communications.
