Merger Integration & Strategic Alignment: Getting to Great

Successful merger integration requires flawless execution and strategic alignment. Cingular Wireless’ $48 billion purchase of AT&T Wireless was not only one of the biggest mergers in US history, it posed significant execution challenges for the new company. Research shows that the majority of mergers fail to deliver intended results. And mergers of equals fail twice as often.

Cingular needed flawless execution to turn two very good companies into one great company.

Merger Integration: 1,000 Leaders Experience a 3-Year Merger Plan in Two Days

Cingular’s “Getting To Great”, is an intensive, discovery-based experiential learning event designed to drive strategic alignment, accelerate business plan execution and provide leaders with the following core capabilities:

• Deep understanding of 14 strategic imperatives in regards to the merger integration 
• Execution strategies for effective, results-oriented leadership
• Ability to drive merger integration objectives
• Resource maximization and a new competitive mindset to drive growth
• Experience in creating integrated organizations to quickly achieve business goals

Each of five teams in the Cingular workshop entered a competition for industry leadership; quality of execution determined each team’s success. As the first step in the competition, the teams assessed their current position and then created a three-year execution plan.

This strategic roadmap comprises specific, measurable goals on Cingular’s four primary business metrics, a prioritization of key merger initiatives, and—most importantly—a prioritization of execution capabilities in five functional areas: sales, marketing, network, customer care and IT.

To be successful, leaders on each team focused on the capability of their company’s front-line managers to execute on the three-year plan.

Learn How to Align
1,000 Leaders in 6 Months

Download the Cingular
Case Study

Each participating leader committed to a personal action plan, drawing line of sight from the company's merger objectives to their day-to-day work. These plans focused on concrete actions leaders would take to raise the bar in key management competencies in their team back on the job. BTS followed up with leaders to track the progress and results of the plans. Results showed increased focus on key high-priority areas and changes in behavior that supported successful merger execution.

The initiative also included a feedback mechanism to senior management on key challenges Cingular faced in executing on the 3-year business plan. At the CEO's staff meeting on Mondays following each week of workshops, senior executives reviewed the "brutal facts" shared by participating leaders. The success of the initiative for vice presidents and directors led the company to cascade it to the next band of managers. Some 6,000 mid-level managers participated in 2007 in events of 150 participants.

The biggest challenge for us was to get our target audience through the program in a reasonable timeframe. As one would expect during a merger, the level of activity is extremely high. Getting leaders to commit 2 days of their time during this period was a challenge. BTS delivered the program with such high energy and deep knowledge of our business that it created very positive word of mouth. Our leaders' willingness to recommend it to their peers rose very high and helped us drive a high level of participation in a relatively short period of time - some 1,000 leaders in six months."

- Jim Bowles, Ed.D, VP-Workforce Development, Cingular Wireless

Learn How to Align
1,000 Leaders in 6 Months

Download the Cingular
Case Study