In the February 2005 Newsletter:
  Great News! / Thriving With Merger Mania / How Much Do You Have Left? / Events

Great News!

• See Theresa on ABC World News, 4:45 AM – 6:00 AM EST on March 9, 2005.
• Thanks for making Pursuit of Passionate Purpose an Amazon bestseller! (#4 on the business list and #16 overall). That’s not all — it reached #5 on the 800-CEO-READ daily bestseller list and on a number of regional lists including the Rocky Mountain News business bestseller list. Please continue to build the buzz
• “It’s a wonderful book. I can’t put it down.” David Charles, WKYE-FM, the second largest radio station in Pennsylvania.

Thriving and Surviving in Corporate Mergers

The Situation. Mergers seem to be everywhere — SBC buys AT&T, Molson merges with Coors, Sanofi acquires Aventis. The list goes on and on.

The Problem. The ink has barely dried on the agreement signed by the top dogs, when the inevitable challenges appear. Too often there are cultural clashes in principles, processes, products, communication styles, and more. People, the most important corporate asset, feel the pain, grieve personnel losses, and lose productivity. The entire company and its investors suffer. How can the merger successfully combine the best of each company in a way to reap real rewards?

The Solution. Smart organizations use the “Pursuit of Passionate Purpose” approach to positively impact the bottom-line, reach other goals, and ensure a successful merger. Here are some Practical Pointers for the organization and for its people.

Practical Merger Pointers for the Organization. The successful union follows a four-stage process and applies key success strategies:

• Know the Organization. Determine what are the new, merged company’s values and core competencies — the passion of the organization. Use the Polarity Strategy to embrace and combine the strengths of both sides. Too often essential competitive advantages are lost when parts of the establishment with less power in the merger are not respected and honored.
• Find Passionate Purpose. Organizations that accomplish extraordinary results through mergers know how to unleash and match people’s fervor with important organizational purposes. The manager’s job is to place people in positions that allow them to work their passions, individually and in teams, in line with meaningful work goals that serve the broader corporate vision. Effective managers give people a choice. The organization’s job is to discern marketplace needs to serve with passion and to establish a clear, higher intention. What is the real purpose of the merger? It is unlikely that the organizational purpose can be achieved without impassioned people.
• Pursue Purpose. Ensure regular, two-way communication with investors, employees, and customers as the core means to dissolve fear of the unknown, build trust, and thus develop most effective relationships. What is the plan to achieve the mission?
• Assess Progress. How are things going and what’s next? In the frenzy of doing more, more, and more, the new company may neglect to celebrate forward movement. Pause, reflect, and appreciate. Then, use the Pack Strategy to determine what is hindering progress and take steps to unpack those obstacles from the pursuit.

Practical Merger Pointers for Employees:

• Get in touch with what you really want. Rather than perceive the merger as a loss or as something to fear, use the corporate changes as an opportunity to learn more, nurture your true nature, and pursue your passions.
• Determine how you can use your gifts toward something worthwhile. What are you really passionate about? Is the merger really a gift encouraging you to get on your proper path?

How Much Do You Have Left?

Time, that is. Life is short. Death is sure. Consider my friend’s situation. After aggressive treatment, she just found out that her melanoma is back. Here are her words,

“It’s scary — the prognosis, but not as bad as others have lived with, and they’ve survived a long time. We’re talking relative here — 10 years or so. You can’t help but do the calculations and wonder, ‘how long can I stretch this out? What is it I really want to do in these remaining years?’ “

Upcoming Public Events

Wednesday, March 2, 2005. “Pursuit of Passionate Purpose Leadership Lessons” at the University of Colorado, College of Business, Room 301 from 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM. Part of the “Critical Leadership and Management Skills” undergraduate class led by Professor Wayne Boss.

Wednesday, March 9, 2005. Interview on the early morning ABC World News, 4:45 AM – 6:00 AM EST.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005. Workshop on “Pursuit of Passionate Purpose” for the Women’s Vision Foundation from 7:30 AM – 11:30 AM at the Marriott City Center, 1701 California Street in Denver, CO. Visit www.womensvision.org for information.

Thursday, March 17, 2005. Seminar on “The Passion of Writing” at the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) Newbie College from 1:00 PM – 6:30 PM at the Red Lion Inn, 4040 Quebec Street, Denver, CO. Call 303-470-3441 for driving instructions and registration, or register at: www.cipabooks.com.

Be the BUZZZZ

Be a BUZZ AGENT about Pursuit of Passionate Purpose so that its message can help those who need it. A grass roots effort is the best way to build momentum. I need your help.

Don’t Just Wish for a Prosperous Year

TAKE ACTION! Know that you can survive the mania by getting clear on what YOU want and then making it happen. Let Technology and Management Solutions, the catalyst for your extraordinary results, help you and your organization thrive in these challenging times.

Thrive in 2005,
Theresa M. Szczurek, Ph.D.
CEO, entrepreneur, and author

P.S. Pass it on. Feel free to share this newsletter with your colleagues.