The Human Side of the Deal: What Keeps People Committed Through a Merger

Anyone who has led through a merger knows that the strategic and structural decisions are only part of the challenge. Keeping people committed, engaged and performing through the uncertainty of integration is where so much M&A value is won or lost.

What we know from research: Research shows that mid-level leaders have a greater influence on how employees experience a merger than those at the C-suite level. The role of these leaders goes beyond passing strategy down the line; they need to make change vision meaningful for the people around them.

My POV: What can receive less attention during the busyness of M&A activity post-deal is equipping these leaders to be interpreters of what is happening for their teams. When they are empowered to share information, involve their teams in how the work gets done, and open up discussions around what people are feeling and questioning, the commitment of those around them holds in a way that communication from the top alone cannot achieve. Proactively equip leaders across the business to engage in transition discussions. This can influence how well commitment and satisfaction hold through the merger.

As a Leader, what can you do?

• Set up all leaders to navigate change with credibility. All leaders across the business need more than high-level messaging to pass on. Give them real context: the reasoning behind decisions, the uncertainties still being worked through, the direction of travel. When they understand the broader picture, they can speak to it with credibility and address the questions their teams are asking. A useful starting point is asking: “What are you hearing from your teams that you don’t yet have a good answer to?”
• Build structured ways for people to contribute and be heard. Post-merger, one of the most unsettling experiences for employees is the sense that integration decisions are happening while they have no voice. Create real openings for people to share their perspective on how the work is changing: through team discussions, regular check-ins, or simply by asking people directly how they experience their role changing and what could make the transition easier.
• Keep information moving, even when the picture is not complete. Silence during an integration is rarely experienced as neutral. When people do not know what is happening, uncertainty fills in the gaps. Clearly and honestly sharing what you know, including what has not yet been decided, creates greater security that allows people to stay more focused and committed through the transition. Build this engagement expectation into all layers of leadership.

What difference will it make? When you equip all leaders well, create real opportunities for people to contribute, and keep information flowing openly, the questions and anxiety that typically exist around merger integrations start to reduce, because the people closest to the wider teams are equipped to address them.

You can feel more confident that the human side of the deal is being led well. And the outcomes the research points to are more likely to follow: satisfaction and commitment holding up, your people staying engaged, your talent retained, and the organisation you are building coming out the other side of the deal intact and stronger.

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