“M&A change management needs to be brought to the forefront and differentiated from project management. Specifically, change management cannot be thought of in terms of tasks and check marks, rather it needs to be seen as an approach to make sure the people on both the acquiring side and target side are being taken care of across all functions.” Kison Patel

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Why do so many companies forget about the people during acquisitions and mergers? The talk rarely looks anything like the walk. “Your job is safe.” You are valuable.” These are empty promises because it takes thorough assessment across both companies to determine what roles are valuable, which people are needed in them, and how the two cultures and business objectives will align. And even more important? How do people feel about the change, the merger? Are they excited, fearful, anxious?

The change manager role is essential in M&A. You cannot rely on HR or Project leaders to be dedicated full-time to the assessment, planning, execution, and sustainability required.