The next step is to determine what a new team could look like. It is natural for managers to want to hire people with like traits, but this is not always what is best for the team. Balance is crucial if the manager wants to create a team that will produce the best quality work. The best teams are composed of people who think differently from one another. This prevents groupthink and overlooked details.
Employee and team assessments can answer questions and resolve fears before they develop into full-blown conflicts.Mergers cause anxiety within employees that can last for months after the deal has been made. If managers knew what made people behave the way they do, it would be easier for them to allay employee fears and to match them to new teams. Employees will naturally be skeptical of their new team members at first, but employee and team assessments can answer questions and resolve fears before they develop into full-blown conflicts.
Team assessments reveal areas of strength and weakness within a particular group, and provide opportunities for the team to grow and develop together. The results can be analyzed in a team meeting so that all members can feel understood and differences can be discussed. If interdependencies exist within teams, assessments can reveal who would work best together and why.
This is Part 2 in our three part series about managing during mergers. Review Part 1 and read ahead to Part 3 to understand what it takes to successfully manage during a merger.
