‘Primp My Brand:’ How to prepare your company for an M&A or an IPO (Part I)

Administration was keenly dedicated to the method all through, whereby we gave form, focus and goal to the whole firm and its presence within the nation. The mission concerned over 100 folks inside the firm, over three months, in bespoke, extremely designed, and absolutely built-in phases: Particular person, administration group depth-interviews, ‘rising star’ workshops with center administration (invaluable, value their weight in gold), and market checks amongst customers and enterprise audiences to ratify outcomes. 

Following closing ratification with the administration group, we additionally took outcomes by way of the whole organisation in formal coaching packages to impact true tradition change. Because the CMO put it: “I wish to get the model of their souls.” In parallel, administration re-launched their model to their exterior audiences with a brand new promoting marketing campaign, a brand new emblem and new retail shops re-designed to mirror their new model persona. 

Inside 18 months, this nationwide telecom was purchased by their present guardian firm for a file inventory worth. Administration credited the ‘branding’ within the buy course of for elevating their company profile in nationwide opinion polls (acknowledged to be a ‘higher firm’) and for elevating internally their ‘excellent place to work’ scores; The monetary press deemed the acquisition ‘properly definitely worth the buy worth,’ with the IPO ‘exceeding expectations.’ Most rewarding, administration offered their Model Octagon of their pitch to their new house owners to elucidate the brand new organisation. The mission is detailed in full in an Ivy League college enterprise college case.

Case examine 2: A sell-off/sell-back delivers on a brand new enterprise technique

This case focuses on a significant division of a nationwide power firm. The product of a number of mergers over a few years, the division was affected by inner morale at an all-time low, which was attributed to ‘warring factions’ left over from the mergers. 

The CEO and administration group understood this was having a severe impression on inner productiveness and exterior competitiveness. Whereas they believed the ‘dangerous popularity’ of the corporate was unwarranted, they have been involved about dropping floor to the market leaders – ABB and Siemens. The CEO sought to repair their ‘aggressive picture’ by way of a ‘tradition of success’ and so he and his group embraced a Model Octagon course of to create this tradition.

The method they selected was noteworthy and much from normal, as they wished the organisation to create their very own Model Octagon from the bottom up; solely a Model Octagon rising fully from center administration ranks, with out senior administration ‘interference’ can be accepted. And so it was that we created this firm’s Model Octagon in three hours in a single afternoon, with 320 international managers gathered collectively for his or her annual assembly. 

It was shortly realised that this non-standard format required the higher a part of 12 weeks of preparation, with a presentation to administration group each Monday morning for his or her approvals. At every administration assembly, we shared with them the modules and workout routines we have been proposing to conduct in the course of the afternoon session, together with the fully bespoke video clips, function performs and interactive challenges we created to satisfy the demanding targets and brutal timing. In parallel, we educated 10 moderators to work in pairs, dividing the 320 folks into 5 teams of 65, so that every group may ship both imaginative and prescient, mission, place, persona or guarantees to the ultimate octagon. 

After a 30-minute overview of outcomes with the administration group, with minimal amendments, the CEO proudly offered the outcomes again to the whole group on the assembly’s shut. The power, satisfaction and fervour the whole group felt was palpable. The dangerous octagon format had proved fully value it. 

To the CEO’s credit score, he understood that it was the model that might energise his workers, enhance their relations with clients, and bolster morale; and it was this model, created fully by the workers, that did bridge these strategic wants. The objective, inner and exterior alignment, grounded within the Model Octagon, was documented in vital enhancements in worker and buyer satisfaction and in new contracts vs. their main competitors. Higher morale, higher alignment, a greater firm: The division was purchased (again) by authentic house owners inside two years of this mission, the acquisition being administration’s objective from the beginning.

Ensure you take a look at the following weblog for the third and closing case examine and closing reflections.