Once the group message is made, follow up with the three newly acquired team members as a group and then with each person individually. Listen to their concerns, look to remove roadblocks and smooth their transition in any way you, and ask them to identify anyone from your original team who’s been particularly helpful. Consider anointing that individual as the team transition lead, which is an excellent stretch assignment for an existing team member while also giving that individual some skin in the game in terms of making the three new hires successful.
Hold follow up team meetings at least weekly for the next twelve weeks or until the integration is deemed complete. You can’t communicate enough at times like these when the atmosphere is tense and people are worried about losing their jobs. And it’s critically important to practice MBWA—Management by Walking Around—and checking in with people, both formally and informally, with a careful eye toward resentments, jealousy, or any type of squabbling. In short, if there’s ever an opportunity to demonstrate your outstanding leadership qualities, this is it. No issue is minor, no questions are dumb, and concerns are valid unless proven otherwise. Just remember that just because you don’t have all the answers doesn’t mean that you can’t demonstrate outstanding leadership.
As multiple industries continue to undergo mergers, acquisitions, downsizings, and conglomeration, you have an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate who you truly are as a leader, subordinate, and peer. Your goal is to exhibit role-model behavior, make yourself the first domino, and make it safe for others to follow your lead. No matter what the ultimate outcome, you’ll have made the organization a better place, and you’ll have paid forward an example of how to exhibit outstanding leadership through disruptive change. It’s this level of leadership agility that will set you apart from your peers, and in a world where constant change appears to be the only constant, you’ll have set the bar high on goodwill, cooperation, teamwork, and camaraderie. Leading successfully through change won’t only serve you well both personally and professionally—it will also create a harmonious and aligned team where everyone can do their best work every day, no matter what challenges come your way.