Merck

When this global pharmaceutical company was harmonizing the compensation systems of its two merged companies, they selected us to develop their Change Management strategy.

The client paired us with a global consulting firm who would lead strategy execution and a leading communications firm to design communications to support the work. Perhaps nothing touches employees more personally then their job titles and reward systems, so deployment of the harmonized system required new skills and a mindset shift from managers and employees alike. Leaders had to learn to be sponsors of the change if the initiative was to deliver the desired results. Employees needed to update their understanding of the competitive environment and their new role in it.

Over 9 months, Insyte led the development of a detailed and complex “Change, Communications and Training Plan” to be deployed around the world. We pulled in perspectives from a wide variety of stakeholder groups – both functional and geographic—to assure that the plan addressed the complexity of differences around the globe, while maintaining common messages so essential to a successful merger. 

With implementation now in progress, all reports indicate that the work is going smoothly with far less angst around the changes than had been anticipated.