Navigating Change

Abstract

A large petrochemical company made a major leap toward building Future Potential by acquiring numerous organizations. This was a seismic change for the people employed at the different acquired companies around the globe. Often, in merger-and-acquisition situations, CEOs focus primarily on the financials of the companies, which include the mix of products that can be offered, the enhanced footprint, and the customer base. They often take steps such as reducing production, labor, and overhead costs by eliminating redundancy and streamlining. But in this particular case, the Vitality-oriented CEO understood the potential that could be achieved by combining and retaining the best talent within the component organizations, as long as the mergers successfully integrated the different cultures. He implemented a strategy that was unique to his company and particular situation, differentiating his organization in the highly competitive petrochemical industry. He communicated his vision for the future, and then backed it up with solid actions to show his employees that he was serious. He made sure to utilize top talent from the different organizations, taking care that the plum jobs didn’t all go to employees from the original company. The goal was to have all employees, regardless of their heritage, feel as though their roles were integral to the company’s long-term success, that they personally had a positive future and long-term career potential with the emergent organization, and that they would be given the tools needed to help the company achieve its goals.