Situation 7: Surviving Mergers, Acquisitions, And Reorganizations
You’d probably react to rumors of an upcoming merger, acquisition, or reorganization as you would to news of an impending earthquake. That is, you’d dread it. And why not? The only things that seem certain are 1) Your world is about to get “all shook up” and 2) People are bound to get hurt. As the merger, acquisition or reorganization unfolds, you (like everyone) are left to wonder: “Who is friend, and who is foe? Who will end up in charge? Who will end up gone?” Everyone is nervous. Many people freeze. They feel helpless. They do little but wring their hands and wait for others to decide their fate.

Influence strategy: You can do much more. When the landscape starts shifting under your feet, lead yourself. Recognize that in a period of fear and uncertainty, you have two mindsets operating at once – rational and emotional. And both are revving into high gear. If you don’t take charge, chaos will reign within as well as without. Use your organizational “street smarts” to rationally assess what is changing and where the emerging power points are, so you can position yourself to come through the upheaval unscathed, or even ahead of where you started. At the same time, use visioning, be present, and immerse yourself in self-empowering thoughts to cultivate and convey your inner calm. People will notice. That further enhances your capacity to influence how change unfolds.

Conclusion

Ask yourself... How often do you actually stop to thoughtfully shape your influence strategy for a given situation? If you’re like most people, the honest answer would be, “Hardly ever.” Yet you repeatedly find yourself in situations where influence is, without question, a key to your success.

Why not take those matters more into your own hands? Make positive power and influence one of your core competencies.