Stay focused
Change is always difficult, and when you’re talking about one of the biggest bank acquisitions in history, that difficulty is magnified. So Stevens definitely knows how easy it is to get carried away with the change.
But don’t.
“You could end up having a full two-, three-, four-, five-hour meeting that was all focused on conversion and the things that need to happen,” Stevens says. “You have to be very disciplined in making sure that you spend a percentage of time just talking about the regular day-to-day business of running the organization.”
So while she updated employees on changes, she kept emphasizing the focus on the customers and that team members are the key to delivering service. It’s like looking at everything through a pair of glasses with one lens zoomed in on the merger and the other focused on your vision. That balance should manifest in every conversation you have.
“Quite frankly, things change all the time in terms of the environment and different things we have to focus on,” Stevens says. “Part of the job is being able to multitask and not get stuck on one area but really be able to look at the broad picture of what’s going on out in the field: What are we doing? What am I doing to support my team to help them be successful?”
It takes consistent communication to remind employees what you’re trying to accomplish as well as constant curiosity to learn how they’re doing.
“When you’re a senior executive, a couple of days of not communicating may seem like a short time, but if you’re the team member that’s going through the merger, it can seem like a lifetime,” Stevens says. “In the absence of communication, people will assume things and often think the worst because of uncertainty.”
Because you’re trying to align everyone, that message must be inclusive — whether you’re bringing together two companies or two departments.
That means you can’t make assumptions about what employees know. For example, when the media started reporting the Wells Fargo-Wachovia merger, it painted Wells Fargo as the cross-selling force and pegged Wachovia as the strong service provider. But that didn’t mean the acquired employees weren’t good at cross selling, so Stevens had to avoid that stereotype when she spoke.
Similarly, stop yourself from using lingo or acronyms that may be familiar to some employees but confusing — and therefore divisive — for others.
That consistent, inclusive communication will reinforce your goal and keep employees committed to it.
“Every time I go into a conversation with team members, we always start with talking about our vision,” Stevens says. “That’s where you start. If you can start there, it’s really easy to make sure that you can get the commitment out of people. Anyone will commit to something when they feel like they’re part of something that’s greater than themselves, when they feel like they’re contributing.”
