If we reviewed culture as a financial investment we would give it regular attention and evaluate its usefulness in the pursuit of objectives. Often times, culture manages to insinuate itself into the team and organization without significant attention and care until cultures are merged through a combination, reorganization, or new leadership. The result can be cultures that at best compete and at worst produce a fight. Research shows that the primary reason of failure in a merger is failing to consider adequately the impact of culture.
We recommend that culture is something that is led, not followed. Our work in merging cultures begins with a cultural assessment. In it we seek to uncover which components are supporting engagement and where there is conflict. We will support dynamic conversations in what are the useful and meaningful components of culture and how they relate to a larger purpose. We prefer that everyone on the team understands how to take action in support of the culture, and will facilitate the conversations toward those common practices. One of our clients reported that their first merger took over five years to integrate the two cultures without our help; the second merger, supported by the Advancing Leadership Institute, took less than 18 months to reach its conditions of success of effective integration.