Long before the ink dries on the legal agreement to acquire a company or to merge two entities, the integration strategy should be clear, but the timing can be tricky. Attempting to fill in the details too soon can take eyes off the integration. When that happens—often in response to pressure from investors, analysts, andRead more
Most parent companies conscientiously concentrate on the integration of business systems but ignore a more important part of the transaction—the assimilation of people. Frequently, they concentrate on retaining a few key individuals but give little attention to what will happen to the others. A year or two after the close, decision-makers frequently realize they shouldRead more
“Criticism has the power to do good when there is something that must be destroyed, dissolved or reduced, but it is capable only of harm when there is something to be built.” – Carl Jung People won’t leave if they’re glad you’re their boss. They will want to stay with a boss that does whatRead more
People thought for centuries that dissecting, reducing, and taking things apart was the best way to learn about something. Scientists examined an entity by analyzing each individual component, further splitting the elements until the smallest part could be scrutinized. This way of looking at the world was popular until the twentieth century. Then a newRead more
Several years ago, while working with the leaders of a family-owned business to set their strategies for the next year, I asked to see a copy of their mission statement. Looking confused and more than a little annoyed, the father said he thought it was “somewhere around there” in a framed picture, and the sonRead more
