Post-Merger Integration Leadership

Avoid blind spots and protect deal value through effective integration

Driver

It can feel like the hard part is done when we sign a merger or acquisition agreement, but frankly, there’s a lot of challenge yet to work through. Post-merger integration can include everything from employee resistance to leadership attrition, from duplicative processes to fragmented technology, and from operational oversights to cultural clashes.

Integration requires a holistic balance across the technical aspects of technology and operations, the functional aspects of culture and people, and an ability to strategize for the future and also implement practically in real-time.

Outcome

Other consulting firms specialize in the pre-deal aspects of M&A; FlexPoint works with clients to realize the deal’s intended value, now and in the years to come.

We’ll work with you to ensure that post-close, organizational change transitions smoothly, employees remain engaged, customers stay loyal, and the transformed organization is positioned for long-term success. One of our differentiating strengths in M&A integration is prioritizing the people function while delivering integration results. We take a holistic approach, blending strategy with change management to ensure that cultural alignment, leadership effectiveness, and operational and technological integration work in tandem.

Approach

The FlexPoint team works closely with client teams — from both sides of the deal — to develop a structured post-merger integration playbook and deliver on it.

We’ll work with you to identify success criteria for the integration. Here are some of our starter goals, and you’ll feel the tension and tradeoffs inherent in this type of work:

  • Employees from both organizations feel heard, valued, and engaged

  • Leadership is aligned with a clear vision for the combined entity

  • Processes and structures are optimized without disrupting productivity

  • Customers experience continuity and strengthened relationships

With a sense for what success looks and feels like, we’ll get very practical. The constant in every post-merger integration is organizational change management. A merger represents considerable change for team members and leaders, so it’s worth taking a thoughtful approach to understanding their perspectives, addressing very real concerns, and regularly surveying progress to incorporate any needed redirects or refinements.

OCM activities will include:

  • Change Readiness Assessment, with surveys and interviews to measure employee sentiment and identify potential resistance

  • Expected Change Impact, including mapping key differences in workflows and culture to align strengths

  • Resistance Management & Communication Enablers, equipping managers with tools to recognize and address resistance; transparent communication templates, emphasizing the “why” of decisions; and standard messaging and leader enablement to maintain engagement

  • Change Execution & Sustainability, providing change leadership to reinforce and sustain change long-term, defining and tracking success metrics for adoption and effectiveness

The level and complexity of organizational, process, and technology integration in the deal will shape how much time is spent on each area.

We’ve identified the critical activities to prioritize throughout the process, separated by focus area because each deal differs in its mix and intensity, downloadable here. Expect us to begin with these punchlists as a starting point and tailor them to the challenges and opportunities in front of us.

Interested in learning more?