Guiding Principles
Base Messaging
& Home
Creating a Talent Management framework for Mergers &
Acquisition Activities
Marci Sigmund, Director, Talent Management-Brown Shoe Company
Ken Styer, Director, Talent Management-Brown Shoe Company
What/Why Are We Buying?
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Knowledge?
Brands?
Technology?
Facilities?
Other
Understanding these will help predict need for
outplacement, transfers, relocations, assessment
and right sizing activities.
Guiding Principles
What are they?
An accepted set of shared values and rules
of conduct.
Guiding Principles
Frame how decisions will be made.
 Embody the character of your companyHow do we want to treat people?
 Must support the strategic mission of the
M&A activities.
 Explore possible exceptions to protocol and
how/when-build in flexibility.
 Require agreement and support from
Executive team to execute.
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Ground Rules
How are conflicts going to be resolved
 Processes for the above
 Boundaries
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Communication
Home Base Message
A centralized message or promise to which all
subsequent communication (both verbal and
written) will refer.
Communication
Home base message
 Frequency
 Methods
 Audience-considering levels of
communication
 Tell what you know, what you don’t and
when you expect to know.
 Transparency-live up to the promises
 Benefits/pitfalls
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Cultural Disconnects
Anticipate issues
 Company size
 Privately held vs. Public
 Benefits
 Systems
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Execution
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Right Sizing
◦ Identify areas of duplication and/or need for new talent
◦ Gain full understanding of work actually being performed rather
than going by organizational chart.
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Assessment
◦ Did the existing company use assessments?
◦ How does it compare to current?
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Outplacement
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Engage as early as possible
Consider geographic capabilities
Visibility
Severance
Transfers/Relocation
◦ Follow Guiding Principles to create structure/policy if different
from SOP