The presenter should not have said:
- "best of both"
- "two cultures are very similar"
- "business as usual"
At some point, employees in the target company will probably point to events that bring the accuracy of these statements into question. You should avoid these three common phrases if you want to set the right expectations, reduce employee skepticism, and not be accused of reneging on your promises. Just because a comment is well-intentioned doesn't mean that it works.
The Merger Integration Certification Workshop teaches participants what to say, and just as importantly, what not to say.
Related article: 5 Things You Should Never Say in Announcing the Deal