Episode 76. How To Navigate The Uncertainty & Disruption From M&A And Business Transformation – Jennifer J. Fondrevay

Reframe & Reset Your Career: Job Search & Career Development Insights

In this episode, we will learn about potential strategies for navigating the uncertainty, disruption and fear that comes from mergers, acquisitions and other business transformation. I discussed this and so much more with Jennifer J. Fondrevay, the founder of Day1 Ready™ and author of "Now What? A Survivor’s Guide for Thriving Through Mergers and Acquisitions", on Episode 76 of the Reframe & Reset Your Career podcast.

In this episode, we will learn about:

Pivoting from her initial dream to be the US Ambassador to France to a career in advertising and marketing,

Building your personal brand and digital footprint with marketing principles,

Being thoughtful about your appearance and respecting your audience whether at interview or presenting,

Strengthening connections through finding commonalities,

The lessons she learnt that helped her become a better leader,

Her TEDx talk and focusing on the things we can control such as Talent, Effort & Attitude (TEA),

The power of story telling,

Managing the uncertainty and disruption arising from M&A and business transformation,

Understanding the value you bring to any potential employer, and

Don’t be afraid to move jobs if things are not working out but have a strategy to help you navigate the transition.

Jennifer is the Founder of Day1 Ready™, a consultancy that advises forward-thinking business leaders, owners, and C-Suite executives on how to prepare for the human capital challenges of M&A. As a Fortune 500 C-Suite “survivor” of three multibillion-dollar acquisitions, Jennifer has been on all sides of the deal equation. She saw countless growth strategies fail due to a workforce that couldn’t pivot and adapt as quickly as leadership anticipated.
When her Harvard Business Review (HBR) article “After a Merger, Don’t Let “Us vs. Them” Thinking Ruin the Company” went viral, Jennifer recognized the power and interest in a human-centric approach to business transformation, where employees are at the heart of the change. She shares her expertise as a contributor to: Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Thrive Global, American Marketing Association, Middle Market Growth; and as a frequent podcast guest and keynote speaker for HR conferences, associations, and Fortune 500 companies.

Jennifer and I talked about how you can turn things round if you encounter difficulties when leading a new team. She told me "What they wanted to know is how was I going to help them in the present moment, right? They hadn't had a leader in a year and … I worked that much harder to see how can I help this team? What value do I bring to this team? It's not about what I've done in the past, but it's what I can do now to help them in the future, moving forward. It made me work so much harder … it was about what I could do to contribute to their future."

People & Resources Mentioned

Dorie Clark – The Long Game

Dr Robert Ciadini - Influence

Jennifer’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQpOCeKI3oE

Dr Ellen Taafe

Dr Gena Cox - Leading Inclusion

Contact Jennifer

Website: https://jenniferjfondrevay.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-fondrevay/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferj.fondrevay2463

Reframe & Reset Your Career Resources & Contact Info

Website: https://www.harshaboralessa.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ReframeResetYourCareer

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reframe-reset-your-career/?viewAsMember=true

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Thank you for your continued support of Reframe & Reset Your Career, I do appreciate it. I now have a new website, see link above, please do check it out, I hope you find it helpful.

It would be great to hear from you, the listeners, and your thoughts about the podcast, YouTube channel or anything else, it's always a pleasure to hear your views. I have had some great reviews but not had any way of responding. The next episode will be available on Weds 24th April with Soma Ghosh, the Founder of The Career Happiness Mentor and host of The Career Happiness podcast.

*Reframe & Reset Your Career, including any comments made by the host and guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advice of any description, including but not restricted to financial, legal, investing or medical advice.*