Hello @Frank Gorman,
This is a rarely addressed but critical dimension of global M&A. I worked on an acquisition, in the pet care business, in which a full business unit had to integrate into a new linguistic and operational ecosystem. On paper, language was just another line in the integration plan. But in practice, it shaped everything from how trust formed to how decisions were made.
What we saw was that language was more than a tool for communication. It was a carrier of culture. Changing the language changed how people expressed concerns, escalated issues, and even showed up in meetings. It also impacted speed because of the hesitation that sets in when people are unsure their voice will land.
One lesson that stayed with me was that you can meet every compliance threshold and still miss what matters if people do not feel fluent in the new environment culturally and emotionally.
We found early listening labs helpful, safe spaces where teams could surface what was being lost in translation, including what no one wanted to admit out loud. More than the software compliance or documentation updates, that helped shape a smoother go-live.
I would love to hear from this community. Where have you seen language shift the culture underneath?
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Didier Huber
Didier Huber Coaching & Consulting
From Personal Mastery to Collective Success
513.307.3307 |
didier@didierhuber.com didierhuber.com
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Original Message:
Sent: 2025-05-21 10:04
From: Frank Gorman
Subject: Language
As part of either a merger or acquisition in this global environment, the acquired or one of the merged companies may be required to conduct all future business in a specific language. This would involve adding new language skills to employees, re-configuring hardware and software and documentation. This can be outsourced or done in house. This can impact the "go-live" and needs to be planned from the beginning. A threshold of a success rate needs to be set for employees before the deal goes forward. The hardware and software will need to be compliant on Go-Live in order to avoid impacting productivity. What experiences have you had with these issues?
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Frank Gorman, Former ACMP Board Member, Transformation Consultant
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