When Standard Chartered Bank acquired ANZ Grindlays Bank in2000,1 was the only person in senior management of the combined bank in Bangladesh, having work experience in both places.

My job there was threefold: 1) to make sure transition is smooth; 2) ensure that clients do not face much trouble; and more importantly, 3) make sure that people get to see synergyin this kind of an acquisition, more deemed as a 'merger of equals1. In Bangladesh, Standard Chartered was emerging as the smartest bank and ANZ Grindlays had an age old legacy among client's mindset, built over the years.

It was no doubt an extremely challengingjob in a given market like Bangladesh, where jobs are precious, people are quite emotional and driven more by the' heart than head'.

Our global acquisition head at Standard Chartered kept reminding us about the' not so well merger’ between Exxon and Mobil in the US, where integration of the hearts was not moving hand in hand with integration of business or operations.

I, therefore, focused more on an integration of the hearts, without losing eye on the amalgamation of books to ensure synergy for the acquiring entity. A friend of mine advised me to be more on the side of the acquired people and to get them to 'buy in' to our strategy. They needed to be trained well from 'Day 1’ to bring them up to speed and allow them to appreciate our 'product, process and platform'. They also needed to be given a feeling of being 'essential' in order to 'get the best' out of them.

Ron DeWitt, associate principal at Intellilink Solutions, wrote an article titled “Managing Change is Managing People”. I totally agree, as I was involved in managing people in the last

22 years of my 25 years in banking.

Managing people is one of the most challenging roles a leader can play in his life because it has both a sweet and sour flavor. It is sweet when you are able to manage people and they perform the way you expect them to. The opposite is true in case of sour.

Change is an inevitable part of life. It is difficult to predict change. It involves a process that can be difficult to adapt. It requires systematic planning and careful implementation. People are naturally resistant to initial change as they fear the consequences. And as a leader, you have to communicate with them regularly, to make sure they are aware of the changes and prepare them

with the process of adaptation. The organisation's vision needs to be communicated with its employees, so that it is transparent and both parties are on the same page.

The core elements of managing people with the changes are: training, incentives and motivation. Training and guidance from the leaders will develop and fine tune their skills; while incentives and motivation will play a key role in retaining their selfconfidence, and encouraging them to move forward to achieve their desired goals.

People have to be self-motivated, in the first place; or it will be difficult for a leader to motivate an employee who

does not have the interest to perform. Employees have to work as one team to jump the hurdles of the changes. When the hand is open, the five fingers are of different shapes and sizes and act as individuals; but when you close your hand, it becomes a fist.

The organisation has to learn to adapt to the changes, or else it will not be able to survive in this fiercely competitive market. To do that, the organisation needs to clearly address the changes to its employees, so that they can embrace themselves for what is waiting -- good or bad. Leaders dealing with people and change management must keep a cool head, be gende and understanding during the process

because not everyone is quick to learn. Leaders must not forget that the backbone of any organisation is human resources. They must respect,' engage, enrich and empower’ them. The followers should also hold on to their leaders, and not give upon themselves.

When employees are assured of the changes, they will be ready to embrace it. The organisation will have to tell them that the changes will not harm them. Employees will then have a sense of greater job security and respect for authorities. Let employees know that the organisation is capable of doing better, which is why changes are required.

The organisation has to create an environment for the employees, which will enable them to perform well. This requires a clean and hygienic workplace, encouraging office setting, availability of the updated technological equipment, friendly relations with colleagues, flexible work hours, a well paid job, job security, and of course, ' hand holding' from the leaders.

The main role of the leader dealing with change is to reduce resistance towards change, and increase the interest and level of commitment for the change. Most people will have mixed reactions towards change, so the leader/driver should highlight the positive aspects in a realistic manner, and at the same time, manage the downside ofit.

It is most important to send a message to the rank and file that 'change is the only constant thing’ in this world. In a shifting world, if you are not changing, you are in fact going behind. However, as mentioned many times, all through the change process, the organisations and the people driving this must be transparent, articulate and committed to the success of people.

The writer is an economic analyst. He can be reached at: mamun! 960@gmail.com.