The First Two Letters of Merger Are ‘Me’
When two teams are brought together, leaders often start by discussing structures, responsibilities, processes, reporting lines and organisation charts. Employees usually start somewhere else. The first two letters of Merger are “Me”. What will happen to my role? Will I still have a place in the new organisation? Who will I report to? Will my responsibilities change? Will I have the same opportunities? And, perhaps most importantly: what does this mean for me?
I am currently moving from primarily leading a team on an interim basis to also taking responsibility for a broader transformation in which two teams will come together. That transition reinforces something I have seen repeatedly in organisational change: workforce transformation is not simply an organisational design exercise. It is fundamentally about people. Of course, structure matters. Roles need to be clear, responsibilities must be allocated and processes need to work. But a successful transformation starts earlier.
Why is this change?
First, people need to understand why the change is necessary. A merger without a clear rationale quickly becomes an exercise in uncertainty. Leaders need to explain what the combined organisation should achieve that the two separate teams cannot achieve as effectively today. The next step is understanding what the future organisation actually needs. Which capabilities will become more important? Where do we have duplication? Where are there gaps? What capacity is required? And how can we organise work in a way that creates both quality and efficiency? This is where workforce transformation becomes practical. It means looking beyond job titles and current structures and focusing on future capabilities, skills, roles and ways of working.
Involve people
Involvement is another important principle. Involving people does not mean that every decision is made collectively. It means listening carefully, testing assumptions and using the experience already available in both teams. People often understand operational risks and opportunities long before they appear on a project plan.
Communication also plays a critical role. During transformation, not every question can immediately be answered. Leaders should be transparent about that. There is a big difference between saying “we do not know yet” and saying nothing at all. At the same time, business continues. Clients, colleagues and stakeholders still expect delivery. One of the biggest challenges in workforce transformation is therefore balancing two realities: keeping today’s organisation performing while building tomorrow’s organisation.
For leaders, this requires empathy, clarity and decisiveness. We need to recognise the legitimate “Me” questions people have, while gradually helping them see the bigger picture. Because a merger may start with Me, but a successful transformation ultimately creates a stronger We.
