Lisa, this is such a great and timely post, thank you for sharing. I have been involved in many merger and acquisition processes throughout my career, but the two that stand out most vividly are from my time working at Procter & Gamble, because they were complete opposites in how culture and leadership were handled.
When P&G divested its pharmaceutical business, the integration went wrong in so many ways. One of the biggest issues was a complete lack of transparency and alignment on objectives. People were left wondering what was really happening. What was the strategy? What did success look like? What would happen to them? This lack of clarity and trust led to massive disengagement and talent loss. The focus was entirely on closing the deal and managing financial outcomes, while the human side of the integration was neglected, ultimately undermining the value of the transaction.
On the other hand, when I was involved in a major acquisition at P&G, the approach was very different. From the beginning, leadership was clear and transparent about the purpose of the merger, what we wanted to achieve together, and how both cultures would be honored and blended. There were open conversations and a strong effort to clarify expectations and align people. Even though challenges remained, people felt included and trusted the process, which made the integration much more successful.
Reflecting on these and other experiences, I have learned that clarity and transparency about objectives are essential. People can adapt to almost any change when they understand the why and the how. Without that, even the best strategies fall apart.
I fully agree with you, Lisa, the deal is not the merger. The real work starts when cultures, people, and ways of working need to come together.
Curious to hear from others:
👉 How have you seen leaders succeed or fail in communicating purpose and expectations during a merger?
👉 What role do you think transparency plays in building trust during these high-stakes transitions?
Looking forward to hearing others' experiences and lessons.
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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: 2025-03-17 12:43
From: Lisa Jackson
Subject: Merger Integration - When It Goes Wrong
I found this case study (attached to the post) about a pharmaceutical merger and related to it, having worked in this industry. One small fish being swallowed by a big fish - struck a chord of familiarity. The point about "culture integration" is accurate - in merging companies it's often thought that the deal IS the merger... assuming the people - their roles and responsibilities, their decision making / rights, ways of innovating new solutions, solving problems - will somehow magically be a smooth integration because the deal has been signed. Often many months or even years after the deal when the merger is imploding and the "value is not being realized, they wake up and realize that attention to the people, process and operational details is needed. When the dealmakers assume the value is in the deal / P&L - it always fails. In reality it is like two families merging (on a major scale). I liked the author's description of facilitating a brand new set of values for the combined company - doing the work to recast new ways of working and creating teamwork in the combined culture.
What are you thoughts and experiences?
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Lisa Jackson
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