So, you’ve taken on a new team through company acquisition. How do you effectively manage that team and your existing team to get the best from both? Here are six ways that might help.
Mergers and acquisitions can be exciting – they signal growth, new opportunities, and the chance to build a stronger, more capable business. But when it comes to people, particularly in specialist functions like paraplanning, integration can be less than straightforward.
You’re suddenly managing two (or more) teams, each potentially with their own systems, habits, cultures, and ways of working. Expectations might differ, loyalties may still lie with previous managers or structures, and there’s likely to be a fair bit of anxiety on both sides. So how do you bring everyone together, align expectations, and ensure both your legacy team and the newly acquired team feel valued, understood, and productive?
Here are some strategies to help smooth the transition and build a united, high-performing paraplanning function.
1. Address the change
Don’t pretend everything is “business as usual.” For many team members, the acquisition represents uncertainty – about roles, status, workload, and future direction.
Hold open conversations, either in groups or one-to-one, to allow people to ask questions, share concerns, and understand the broader vision. Be transparent where you can. People respect honesty, and it builds trust much faster than vague reassurance.
2. Listen and learn
Take time to understand how the acquired team operates. What systems do they use? How do they approach report writing, compliance checks, or supporting advisers? What are their strengths? Where might they need support?
Often, new teams bring ideas, processes, or efficiencies that are genuinely valuable — and possibly better than your current way of doing things. Talking to the team about what they think works well in their current process, where their regular challenges lie, and what they would like to change, can be invaluable.
Recognising and potentially adopting successful practices can improve operations and also show respect for the incoming team’s expertise.
Listening and learning before leading can help integrate the teams.
3. Identify and communicate the teams’ common purpose
It’s important that from the outset, both teams need to feel they’re working toward the same goal. Starting to craft a shared purpose early on can help bring the teams together.
And make that purpose visible. Use team meetings, internal newsletters, or collaboration platforms to reinforce the “why” behind the integration and how the integrated team can deliver better outcomes for clients. When people feel connected to a bigger picture, they’re more likely to move past “us vs them” thinking.
4. Empower individuals
Identify and empower individuals in both teams who are positive, respected, and open to change. These champions can help you bridge cultural gaps, gather feedback, test new processes, and act as informal leaders.
They can play a key role in smoothing tensions, clarifying communication, and helping others adapt.
5. Process integration
One of the first areas of tension in paraplanning integrations is often around process and software. Maybe one team uses a different CRM, or their suitability reports follow a different format. Adjusting to new ways of working can be stressful.
While consistency is important for quality control and compliance, start by agreeing on what must be standardised — templates, workflows, regulatory processes. But if possible, leave some flexibility in how individual paraplanners manage their day or structure their tasks, as long as the outcomes are aligned.
Get the teams involved in helping move to one system or even creating new workflows. People are more likely to adopt a process they helped design.
6. Collaboration over competition
It’s natural for newly joined teams to compare themselves with the existing setup. “We used to do it this way,” or “their team always gets the better cases.” To counter this, create structured opportunities for collaboration.
- Mix teams for project work or peer reviews
- Run shared training or CPD sessions
- Pair up paraplanners across teams to exchange ideas
Celebrate collective wins, not just individual performance. Shift the focus from competing to complementing one another.
Bringing together different paraplanning teams following an acquisition isn’t easy, nor is it a one-off task. It’s an ongoing process that evolves over months, not weeks.
But it is manageable with the right mindset and approach. It takes empathy, structure, and patience. More importantly, it takes a leader who is willing to listen, adapt, and inspire.
Done well, integration isn’t just about merging systems and processes – it can create a new, stronger team that draws on the best of both worlds. One team, one vision, and a shared commitment to delivering outstanding client outcomes.
Main image: krakenimages-Y5bvRlcCx8k-unsplash
