Surviving Your Worst Nightmare-A Merger By Kathleen Wells, Ph.D. A merger looms in your future. It's still a vague, dark shadow, but your keen business sense warns you it's coming. Your mind whirls. Will there be layoffs? Will you be moved up the chain of command-or out the door? There are ways to ensure survival, whether you remain with that company or find an even better place for yourself. First, it is imperative to keep your network intact. Most executives used a strong network to find the position they presently hold. If that network has been kept in tact, it will be easy to draw on those resources again. Organizational Coach and President of SageCoach, Andrea Sigetich, CPCC, agrees and goes on to explain, "Networking is vital, not only to your career development, but to your career satisfaction. It is important to stay in constant touch with colleagues in other organizations doing similar work, and use them frequently." According to Patricia Hunter, career and executive consultant, "It is always a strong career booster to keep in touch with the key managers across the enterprise, making sure they know what position you are currently in, what you are learning and what you are interested in doing next." Use this network to find out about other openings in your industry, what others see happening in the merger, and how you can benefit from a change at this time. Also use this network to remain in your present position or receive a promotion after the new organizational structure is in place. Take advantage of meetings with the network to let people know how good you are at your job at the same time you are gathering information. Send letters to network members and follow that with phone calls to schedule appointments. Have good questions ready that will give you the information you need to locate other opportunities. Second, keep your résumé/marketing portfolio up to date and dusted off. John Klube, a career counselor for Resource Consultants Inc. in Vienna, Virginia, says you must keep your résumé up to date and ready to go quickly to best maximize opportunities that come up. You don't want to hear of the perfect position and realize your résumé hasn't been looked at in years. If it is in basically good shape and you have a file of accomplishment statements, it will be much easier to pull an effective document together in a short time. Andrea Sigetich recommends reviewing the résumé once a month or once a quarter. Think about what you have accomplished during that time and add it in. This may be done a couple of ways. One effective way is to add what I call one-liners, bullets that say, "Hey, I'm really good at what I do." The other is a longer statement, a three or four sentence accomplishment paragraph that gives a little more detail. Finally, look at the merger as a challenge and an opportunity for growth. Whether you stay with the company or move on, you will be learning new things, meeting new people and finding something better just around the corner. Andrea suggests, "Learn about how we experience change and become fluid with it. Read the work of Bill Bridges; grab a copy of 'Who Moved My Cheese?' And do some real introspection about your own capability to flow with change. Improve it if you need to." Highly successful people grab a challenge and don't let go until they're through turning it into an opportunity for growth. If that is not already the way you operate, emulate these successful people. They know they can overcome any challenge and create a wonderful new opening for themselves. Patricia has a final hint to ensuring the survival of a merger and turning it into potential for career advancement. She says, "In my practice, the number of executives seeking coaching services has doubled. Some need guidance in enhancing their personal communication style or want to build specific skills … Taking an analytical approach to a personal search and enlisting the help of a coach to undertake a formal self-assessment of work and non-work goals is invaluable." The tools are at your fingertips. Remember that not all mergers result in lost jobs, but be prepared just in case. Keep your network in place with frequent phone calls or emails, your marketing portfolio dusted off and up to date with your latest accomplishments, and if you are not comfortable with change, get that way. View challenges as opportunities and if you need professional assistance in the form of a career coach seek it out. You can turn any merger to your best advantage whether you are indeed moved up the chain of command-or out the door. Dr. Kathleen Wells is a professional career coach and Director of Coaches That Care. Ask her all your career-related questions.