1. How do people feel about being merged/acquired?
The corporate perspective is different from the field’s perspective. Here at headquarters the questions are, “Is there room at the inn?” and “Will I go to Atlanta?” In the field, people are wondering if they will have to work for less money. Some are angry that it came to this. Did the CEO and the SVP just sell us out? People’s emotions run the gamut from “How could you do this?” to “What took you so long?”
It’s no shock that we merged, but people are set back on their heels that it is this acquirer.
People don’t feel good. They realize the way business has been run is too caring, too feeling. They know things will change with the ACQUIRER. They know they’ll have to be more accountable and their empowerment is gone. They understand why the decision was made, but they don’t feel good about it.
Nervousness. Anxiety. Especially among senior managers and audit staff. There’s unhappiness, even bitterness...