Building Trust In A Newly Merged Organization

When the deal of the year turned into the mess of the year... I once walked into an acquisition integration that looked brilliant on paper, and was a disaster in practice. The systems were colliding, leaders were pointing fingers, and employees were caught in the middle. Every update from the top was polished, precise, and…completely hollow. The truth? People didn’t need another update. They needed to feel understood. Where it all went wrong? I sat in meetings where leaders rolled out flawless powerpoints, crisp emails, and “efficient” town halls. From the outside, it looked like best-in-class communication. But behind the scenes? Disengagement. Frustration. Turnover. There was a glaring gap between foundational communication (telling people what they “need” to know) and human communication (making people feel seen, heard, and connected). The Reset? That’s when my team and I stepped in. We pressed pause on the corporate theater and focused on being human first: -We coached leaders to share stories, not just strategies. When people could see themselves in the narrative, they cared again. -We taught leaders to acknowledge what was messy, confusing, and hard - because vulnerability builds trust faster than any polished script. -We rebuilt dialogue. Not quarterly updates, but ongoing conversations where employees could question, push back, and be part of shaping the new culture. Slowly, things shifted. Employees stopped bracing for the next “update” and started leaning in. Leaders discovered that trust doesn’t come from having all the answers - it comes from being willing to show up as human. The lesson for leaders? In an age of automation and endless change, the real competitive edge isn’t efficiency. It’s empathy. If you’re leading through change - an acquisition, a reorg, even a tough quarter, ask yourself: Am I just communicating information? Or am I creating connection? Because when everything else is in flux, relationships are the one thing that will hold your culture together. Your people don’t need another update. They need to feel understood.

Change is never just strategic—it’s deeply psychological. During transformation, the biggest risk isn’t resistance. It’s silence. Silence means people don’t feel safe to speak up. And without psychological safety, ❌ Ideas disappear. ❌ Mistakes go unreported. ❌ Trust quietly erodes. That’s why high-trust cultures don’t happen by accident. They’re intentionally built—especially during change. Here’s a framework I use to help organizations foster psychological safety during transitions: 🔹 S — Speak Up Create a culture where people can share concerns or ideas without fear of being shut down. 🔹 A — Acknowledge Emotion Validate that change brings uncertainty. Don’t power through discomfort—address it. 🔹 F — Follow Through Keep your word. Psychological safety collapses when promises aren’t kept. 🔹 E — Encourage Learning Reward experimentation. Normalize failure as part of growth—especially during change. Leaders set the tone. If you want your people to lean in, not check out—start with SAFE. If you're navigating transformations and want to build a culture of trust that lasts, DM me “TRANSFORM”. Let's transform the way your organization leads through change.

Leading teams through mergers and acquisitions is one of the most challenging experiences a leader can face. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to lead a retail division through a major acquisition. The acquiring company decided to shut down all existing stores and have employees reapply for their roles - a move that sent shockwaves through our tight-knit, multi-generational team. As a young leader, my initial instinct was to focus solely on the operational aspects of the transition. But I quickly realized that the emotional side of the equation was just as critical, if not more so. In times of change, the balance between operational excellence and compassionate leadership must shift. I learned that in these moments, your team needs your strength more than ever. → It's not about agreeing with their frustrations, but rather acknowledging their concerns while helping them understand the reasons behind the decisions. Transparency, empathy, and a willingness to listen are paramount. Taking the time to answer the WHY behind the changes, painting a picture of future possibilities, and, most importantly, being present for your team - these are the things that build trust and resilience in the face of uncertainty. Leadership during mergers is about navigating that delicate balance between driving results and caring for your people. It's about showing up authentically, leading with compassion, and helping your team see the opportunity in the midst of the chaos. If you're leading through a merger or acquisition, know that your team is looking to you for strength and stability. Lean into the discomfort, communicate openly, and never forget that your people are your most valuable asset. Together, you can emerge stronger on the other side.

When doing any M&A - are you purchasing the intellectual property or the business? Because if you're buying ANYTHING more than the intellectual property, trust is at the core of the integration. You can (maybe) integrate systems in 90 days. Integrating trust takes a whole lot longer. One of the most overlooked risks in M&A? The human one. I’ve been through multiple integrations, due diligence cycles, and post-close transitions. And I can tell you: spreadsheets may win the deal, but it's trust, communication, and culture that determine whether the value actually materializes. Circling back to one of my previous posts - it is also making sure the "say" and the "do" match - ALL the way back to the initial due diligence. Here's what often gets missed: 🔹 People interpret silence as threat - and in the absence of information will create their own story - which is often significantly worse than the truth! Communication isn't just a courtesy—it's risk mitigation. 🔹 Culture is an operating system. Every team has embedded ways of working. If you force alignment without understanding those patterns, you may inadvertently shut down what made them successful in the first place. 🔹 Integration is emotional. Titles shift. Power moves. Identities blur. Benefits change. The process isn’t just technical—it’s deeply personal. And without a strategy for that, and a proactive change plan (that is HEAVY on the communication) you’re leaving value on the table. The most successful integrations I’ve supported had three things in common: 🧩 A shared leadership narrative grounded in purpose and clarity. 🧩 Early identification of cultural hotspots—not just red flags, but areas of pride and strength. Coupled with the understanding that the acquired organization may often have things to teach the buying organization! 🧩 A deliberate, empathetic, and transparent approach to change management—because speed without humanity breeds resistance. M&A is an incredible opportunity to reset, refocus, and rebuild stronger. But only if the people inside the business believe they have a future in the new version. The real synergy? It’s not just in the balance sheet. It’s in the belief system. I'd love to hear from others—what’s something you’ve seen work (or not) when two organizations become one?

Mergers are like marriages of convenience. Necessary but not necessarily desired. Are you helping people grieve their losses? Mergers and acquisitions are typically treated as financial deals. Legal, accounting, and operations teams take the lead. Spreadsheets are reviewed. Synergies are projected. But where is the space for grief? As an Organizational Ombuds, I’ve seen this play out time and time again: people aren’t just adjusting to a new org chart—they’re mourning the loss of the company they knew. Their familiar language, inside jokes, unspoken rules, even who gets the last word in meetings—all of that changes overnight. Each organization is like a sovereign nation with its own customs. A merger isn’t just a deal—it’s a cultural collision. If integration teams aren’t equipped to address that, resistance builds, trust erodes, and your top talent quietly disengages. What if we did it differently? 🔍 What if M&A teams included an Ombuds from day one? Unlike consultants focused on systems or advisors focused on valuation, Ombuds serve as confidential thought partners—listening to fears, spotting friction early, and helping leaders communicate in ways that feel human, not corporate. 🧠 We help people process change before it becomes conflict. 🗣 We teach leaders how to listen, not just announce. 🤝 And we translate between cultures—so that both legacy teams feel respected and heard. Because behind every stalled integration or culture clash is a simple truth: no one was tasked with helping people feel safe enough to adapt. So, I’ll ask: ➡️ Who on your integration team is responsible for emotional fluency? ➡️ How are you equipping leaders to communicate with empathy? ➡️ Who’s listening when people feel lost, angry, or overlooked? The numbers matter—but the human experience is what determines whether your integration thrives or fractures. Let’s not treat grief like a risk to be managed. Let’s treat it like a truth to be honored.