Case study: Why M&A is about people

Challenge teams to build trust | Case study: Why M&A is about people | Use the Strategic Fitness Process for transformations Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( February 25, 2020 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [Challenge teams to build trust]( Build trust in your team by giving them clear expectations and the tools to create psychological safety, as well as putting them in situations where they must work together, writes Randy Conley. "We do a disservice to our teams when we try to prevent or rescue them from hard times," he writes. Full Story: [Leading With Trust blog]( (2/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Advance your career with an Online MBA]( SmartBrief Readers: Stay where you are and get where you want to be. Advance your career with an Online MBA from Michigan Ross. A top-tier, flexible program with action-based learning, and dedicated career resources. [Sign up for email to learn more.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Case study: Why M&A is about people]( Mergers and acquisitions fail because leaders focus more on numbers and synergies than how deals affect employees, writes Alaina Love, who describes a client of hers. "How cultures and processes are integrated, how politics and power play out, and how employees feel about their daily work experience will determine the ultimate impact of the acquisition or merger," she writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (2/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Use the Strategic Fitness Process for transformations]( Companies can lead a successful business transformation by engaging in a nine-step Strategic Fitness Process outlined by Harvard emeritus professor Michael Beer. The process begins with senior leaders and involves a task force that talks with at least 100 employees, among other steps. Full Story: [Irving Wladawsky-Berger blog]( (2/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Communication [] [Work is a minefield of bad jargon]( Using what Molly Young calls "garbage language" in the workplace such as "growth hack," "shareability" or "syncs," instead of simpler, more understood vocabulary "confirms delusion as an asset in the workplace." "The fact that buzzwords are a joke even to many of the people who rely on them suggests that work, and its language, is a kind of pretense," Olga Khazan writes. Full Story: [The Atlantic (tiered subscription model)]( (2/19), [Vulture (tiered subscription model)]( (2/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Introverted leaders need to prioritize communication]( Introverted leaders need to be upfront, whether it's about communicating deadlines, asking for help or complimenting their team, writes Kate Nasser. "As much as you want more silence and private time, employees want and value your appreciation," she writes. Full Story: [Kate Nasser]( (2/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Innovation & Creativity A weekly spotlight on making the next big thing happen [] [How you approach strategy will influence innovation]( Canon and Kodak are both out of the film camera business, but Canon's exit was more successful because it focused on helping customers capture images in any form, while Kodak kept trying to sell film, writes Jeffrey Phillips. "Strategy can either inform innovation or it can limit innovation," he writes. Full Story: [Innovation Excellence]( (2/19) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartPulse [] How would you describe the "back office" functions at your company (finance, procurement, legal, HR, etc.)? They occasionally add value and respond in a reasonable time. 29.78% They add value in every interaction and are highly responsive. 25.56% They are extremely frustrating and overly bureaucratic. 19.38% They rarely add value and tend to slow things down. 17.98% They make my life a nightmare, and I can't get anything done. 7.30% [] Improving the back office. Eighty percent of you report your back office functions like procurement, finance, legal and HR only occasionally add value (30%) or even worse, rarely add value or make your life extremely difficult (55%). That's alarming. But blame resides in two places. One place is with the back office. If you're in one of these functions, remember these other groups are your customers. While policy and procedure has a place, responsiveness to their needs helps business performance. If you're more interested in process and bureaucracy than you are in getting things done, it's time to rethink your priorities. The other half of the blame is with those who consume back office services. Going to them with short timelines, ill-formed requests and excessive requests for exemptions doesn't make their lives easier. You need to plan your requests better. Give them time to respond (they have a lot of customers!). Respect their rules and processes. The answer lies somewhere in the middle here (and 26% of you have found that sweet spot). It's a partnership -- treat it as such. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [ThoughtLeaders](. Before launching his own company, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He's the author of three leadership books: "[One Piece of Paper](," "[Lead Inside the Box](" and "[The Elegant Pitch](." [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] POLL QUESTION: When you get stressed out, how do you deal with it? [Vote]( [I go exercise.]( [Vote]( [I take time off from work.]( [Vote]( [I throw myself into my work and push through it.]( [Vote]( [I meditate.]( [Vote]( [I do something else.]( [Vote]( [I never get stressed out.]( [] In Their Own Words [] [CEOs need resilience, good support staff]( CEOs must be resilient, know how to bounce back quickly and surround themselves with good listeners and strategists, says Liv Garfield, CEO of Severn Trent. "Although I can't love every part of my job, I can organize my time so that I love every day," she says. Full Story: [Heidrick & Struggles]( (2/13) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [The perfect fried rice is all about the wok]( Researchers at Georgia Tech have created a mathematical model to identify the right combination of seesawing motions needed to create a perfect fried rice dish in a wok. [The study]( has a dual goal of developing a device to reduce chef injuries and automate fried rice cooking. Full Story: [Ars Technica]( (2/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Editor's Note [] [SmartBrief Reader Survey]( You might have noticed we have updated our newsletter template. Please let us know what you think by taking this [two-minute survey](. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these daily updates free. Refer 10 new readers to receive one year of digital access to The New York Times. 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